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The Contested Discourse of Sustainable Agriculture

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  • Desmond McNeill

Abstract

The article critically analyses how the transformative ambition of the SDGs may be threatened in the process of moving from vision, through goals and targets to indicators. This is exemplified by a case study concerning sustainable agriculture, and most specifically indicator 2.4.1, where two contrasting approaches – industrial agriculture and agro‐ecology – stand in opposition, each with its associated discourse and interests. The process is analysed in great detail, noting the complex interplay of political and technical considerations. FAO has played a central role in establishing a compromise with regard to the wording of indicator 2.4.1 which papers over the disagreements and does not explicitly promote either of the two competing approaches. And the organisation has facilitated a technical process which, instead of one simple indicator, has led to a composite, multidimensional version with nine sub‐indicators, as a result of which it has been relegated to ‘Tier III’ status, implying that it will not be used for global monitoring purposes. The article concludes that – owing to a combination of political and technical factors – the transformative potential of the SDGs may, in this instance, be lost.

Suggested Citation

  • Desmond McNeill, 2019. "The Contested Discourse of Sustainable Agriculture," Global Policy, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 10(S1), pages 16-27, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:glopol:v:10:y:2019:i:s1:p:16-27
    DOI: 10.1111/1758-5899.12603
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    Cited by:

    1. Siegel, Karen M. & Bastos Lima, Mairon G., 2020. "When international sustainability frameworks encounter domestic politics: The sustainable development goals and agri-food governance in South America," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 135(C).
    2. Jayasree Krishnankutty & Michael Blakeney & Rajesh K. Raju & Kadambot H. M. Siddique, 2021. "Sustainability of Traditional Rice Cultivation in Kerala, India—A Socio-Economic Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(2), pages 1-16, January.
    3. Fukuda-Parr Sakiko & Smaavik Hegstad Thea, 2018. "“Leaving No One Behind” as a Site of Contestation and Reinterpretation," Journal of Globalization and Development, De Gruyter, vol. 9(2), pages 1-11, December.
    4. Jorge Freitas & Pedro Silva, 2022. "Sustainable Agricultural Systems for Fruit Orchards: The Influence of Plant Growth Promoting Bacteria on the Soil Biodiversity and Nutrient Management," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(21), pages 1-18, October.
    5. Thor Olav Iversen & Ola Westengen & Morten Jerven, 2023. "Measuring the end of hunger: Knowledge politics in the selection of SDG food security indicators," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 40(3), pages 1273-1286, September.
    6. Thor Olav Iversen, 2023. "Boundary experts: Science and politics in measuring the Sustainable Development Goals," Global Policy, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 14(4), pages 600-610, September.
    7. Yufei Wang & Mangirdas Morkūnas & Jinzhao Wei, 2024. "Mapping the Landscape of Climate-Smart Agriculture and Food Loss: A Bibliometric and Bibliographic Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(17), pages 1-24, September.
    8. Andrzej Bochniak & Paweł Artur Kluza & Izabela Kuna-Broniowska & Milan Koszel, 2019. "Application of Non-Parametric Bootstrap Confidence Intervals for Evaluation of the Expected Value of the Droplet Stain Diameter Following the Spraying Process," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(24), pages 1-17, December.
    9. Suyu Liu, 2023. "Statistical challenges for achieving Sustainable Development Goals: Some reflections on Indicator 14.7.1," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 35(7), pages 1913-1924, October.

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