Bridging the Gap: Integrating the social dimension into farm sustainability assessments for holistic agricultural policy

This paper explores the integration of the social dimension in the assessment of farm-level sustainability. While the economic and environmental dimensions of sustainability have been widely addressed, the social aspect remains generally underdeveloped. Drawing on insights from indicator development through the Teagasc National Farm Survey (NFS) in Ireland, this study highlights critical social sustainability elements including farmer well-being, generational renewal, and community engagement. Findings to date reveal sectoral and regional disparities in challenges such as stress, work-life balance, and access to services, underscoring the need for tailored policy interventions. As indicator development is an iterative process, the paper recognises the need to expand the existing indicator set and calls for enhanced data collection and the co-design of new indicators to better capture the multidimensional nature of social sustainability. The integration of social insights into policy is imperative to gain a better understanding of the sustainability and resilience of agriculture. This is all the more relevant in order to facilitate a just transition for farm families in face of environmental challenges and the advancement of broader sustainability goals.