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Sustainability Assessment of Agricultural Systems in Paraguay: A Comparative Study Using FAO’s SAFA Framework

Author

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  • Alice Soldi

    (Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche, della Vita e della Sostenibilità Ambientale, Università degli Studi di Parma, Parco Area delle Scienze, 11/A, 43124 Parma (PR), Italy)

  • Maria José Aparicio Meza

    (Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias, Universidad Nacional de Asunción, Campus Universitario, Avda. Mariscal López, km 10, San Lorenzo 2160, Paraguay)

  • Marianna Guareschi

    (Dipartimento di Scienze Economiche e Aziendali, Università degli Studi di Parma, Via Kennedy, 6, 43125 Parma (PR), Italy)

  • Michele Donati

    (Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche, della Vita e della Sostenibilità Ambientale, Università degli Studi di Parma, Parco Area delle Scienze, 11/A, 43124 Parma (PR), Italy)

  • Amado Insfrán Ortiz

    (Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias, Universidad Nacional de Asunción, Campus Universitario, Avda. Mariscal López, km 10, San Lorenzo 2160, Paraguay)

Abstract

Sustainability is a topic that is at the center of current discussions in the political, economic, social, and environmental fields. For its analysis, an integral and multidisciplinary vision is needed. This work aims to assess the sustainability of agricultural systems in Paraguay through a comparison applying SAFA (Sustainability Assessment of Food and Agriculture Systems) indicators. The research focuses on 15 case studies on the territory of the Eastern Region of Paraguay divided into five classes of agricultural systems: agribusiness, conventional peasant family farming, agroecological peasant family farming, neo-rural farming, and indigenous agriculture. Data were collected through interviews with producers and key informants, direct observation, and scientific literature research in order to assess, through the SAFA Tool Software, the level of sustainability of each agricultural system as a whole and for each sustainability dimension (political, environmental, economic, and social dimension) in a comparative way. It has emerged that producers belonging to conventional peasant family farming, agroecological peasant family farming, neo-rural farming, and indigenous agriculture have achieved levels of sustainability that are similar to each other and very good in all four dimensions of sustainability. Meanwhile, agribusiness achieved moderate scores in the dimensions of governance and environmental integrity, and was good in the economic and social dimension.

Suggested Citation

  • Alice Soldi & Maria José Aparicio Meza & Marianna Guareschi & Michele Donati & Amado Insfrán Ortiz, 2019. "Sustainability Assessment of Agricultural Systems in Paraguay: A Comparative Study Using FAO’s SAFA Framework," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(13), pages 1-30, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:11:y:2019:i:13:p:3745-:d:246781
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Xiaolei Geng & Dou Zhang & Chengwei Li & Yanyao Li & Jingling Huang & Xiangrong Wang, 2020. "Application and Comparison of Multiple Models on Agricultural Sustainability Assessments: A Case Study of the Yangtze River Delta Urban Agglomeration, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(1), pages 1-22, December.
    2. Noha Mahmoud & Allan Leck Jensen & Cairistiona F. E. Topp & Claus Aage Grøn Sørensen & Michael Nørremark & Vera Eory & Nicholas J. Hutchings, 2021. "A Method to Quantify the Detailed Risk of Serious Injury in Agricultural Production," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(7), pages 1-16, March.
    3. Shu Yu & Yongtong Mu, 2022. "Sustainable Agricultural Development Assessment: A Comprehensive Review and Bibliometric Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(19), pages 1-18, September.
    4. Balezentis, Tomas & Zickiene, Agne & Volkov, Artiom & Streimikiene, Dalia & Morkunas, Mangirdas & Dabkiene, Vida & Ribasauskiene, Erika, 2023. "Measures for the viable agri-food supply chains: A multi-criteria approach," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 155(PA).
    5. Ambrogio Zanzi & Valentina Vaglia & Roberto Spigarolo & Stefano Bocchi, 2021. "Assessing Agri-Food Start-Ups Sustainability in Peri-Urban Agriculture Context," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(4), pages 1-20, April.

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