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USDA-ARS, Northern Great Plains Research Laboratory, P.O. Box 459, Mandan, ND 58554
(liebigm{at}mandan.ars.usda.gov)
G.W. VANLOON, S.G. PATIL, and L.B. HUGAR. Sage Publications India Pvt Ltd, B-42 Panchsheel Enclave, New Delhi, India 110 017. 2005. Hardcover, 281 pp., $61.95. ISBN 0-7619-3340-9.
Challenges associated with achieving agricultural sustainability are immense. Germane to these challenges is the development of acceptable methods for assessing agricultural sustainability on individual farms. With this as a context, Gary W. vanLoon, S.G. Patil, and L.B. Hugar developed a comprehensive approach to assess agricultural sustainability at the local, or micro-region, level. The product of their efforts is the subject of this book.
Using the Tungabhadra project area of South India as a focal point for their efforts, the authors outline in detail a framework to assess agricultural sustainability that includes six categories for assessment: productivity, stability, efficiency, durability, compatibility, and equity. The categories and associated indicators within the framework arose from extensive fieldwork conducted by the authors over a number of years. A farmer-participatory approach was used to develop the framework in order to make assessments more valid and meaningful, thereby increasing the likelihood recommendations from the study would be acted upon by the local population.
The book is organized into four chapters. Chapter 1 provides a basis for sustainability assessments, with a brief discussion on the meanings of sustainability and sustainable development, as well as an overview of the ‘sustainability tripod’ (environmental, economic, and social) in relation to agricultural systems. Levels of sustainability assessments are also reviewed in the first chapter as are basic concepts of ecology as they apply to assessing agricultural systems. Chapter 2 reviews general indicator theory in detail, with significant emphasis on indicator properties and methods for development, selection, quantification, and aggregation. The main thrust of the book is in Chapter 3, where the six categories outlined above are thoroughly described. Within each category, representative indicators are suggested and approaches to calculate and/or score each indicator are provided. Chapter 4 reviews seven studies where agricultural sustainability was assessed under different conditions throughout the world, and it concludes with suggestions on methods to extend sustainability assessments to larger geographical scales.
The intended audience of the book includes farmers, project coordinators, and agricultural researchers. Potential readers should keep in mind that this is a "how-to" book, intended to guide readers through the multiple steps of a sustainability assessment. To this end, the book succeeds by providing steps for indicator selection, scoring, and scaling that are well described and supported through the use of many examples. The book is also well written, logically organized, and easy to read.
Individuals interested in the subject of sustainability assessments for agriculture would benefit from reading this book. Potential readers should not be hesitant to review the assessment framework outlined therein on the basis of the fact that the efforts leading to its development were focused on a single agricultural region. The approach and indicators used in the assessment framework are adaptable across regions and are also scalable, so as to allow for a broader perspective of sustainability. The emphasis on participatory methods for framework development and indicator selection, as well as the straightforward approach to scoring and aggregating indicators, make the book especially useful to individuals who are new to conducting sustainability assessments. In this regard, this book will contribute toward making sustainability assessments for agriculture easier to understand and conduct, with the hopeful outcome that they will become a more common measure of agricultural systems.
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