A methodological approach to assess and compare the sustainability level of agricultural plant production systems

A large number of indicators have been developed, in order to assess agricultural sustainability. However, there is no unified theoretical basis for the creation of a scientifically substantiated system of indicators and especially for data collection, analysis, scale and final goal. This paper proposes a methodological approach to assess and to compare the sustainability level of agricultural plant production systems on regional scale combining the three pillars of sustainability environment, economy and society. The combination of 21 individual indicators expressed a unique indicator was realized using the Multiattribute Value Theory (MAVT). The proposed methodology was testified on two geographical regions in Greece, through an empirical study, utilizing questionnaires completed during interviews with farm managers. The questionnaire was designed to gather data on current agricultural practices applied in each particular region and was separated into three broad groups of questions concerning (a) crop management practices, (b) economic performance and (c) social characteristics of each farm. The results of our study demonstrate the overall status of the studied regions, regarding their level of agricultural sustainability. Finally, findings related to the acceptability of the proposed methodological framework were discussed.