An assessment framework for measuring agroecosystem health

摘要: There are inherent social, environmental, and economic trade-offs in agricultural systems, which by definition have been altered from their natural state humans for food fibre production. Consumers increasingly concerned about the environmental social impacts of agriculture, with increasing influence media, agribusinesses industries can be held accountable actions public domain. Thus, sustainability reporting is being viewed as a cost doing business agriculture. number approaches used to measure agroecosystem health (AEH) around world, but they generally designed make comparisons at coarse spatial scales (i.e. nations) or report on specific management implemented local scale farm, catchment, sub-region). Here we present simple, yet scientifically robust assessment framework that benchmark monitor practices environment. The general principles drawn monitoring experiences gained assessments not necessarily agriculturally focussed. However, many commonly indicators suitable AEH because do explicitly link outcomes actions; fail separate broader cumulative resulting other land uses. We recommend using combination diagnostic, outcome-based indicators, addition practice- product-based measures communicate efforts improve outcomes. presented here enables scales, aggregated disaggregated finer coarser scales. This flexibility ensures relevant proponent stakeholders, while also providing way between producers, industries, regions part an adaptive framework. opens door industry-based program provide, use information government-funded programs, benefits both.