Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

An assessment of agricultural sustainability indicators in Bangladesh: review and synthesis

  • Review
  • Published:
The Environmentalist Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The term ‘indicator’ is often vague and heterogeneous, and its dynamic characteristics make it highly variable over time and space. Based on reviews and synthesis, this study visualizes phenomena and highlights the trend of indicator selection criteria, development methods, validation evaluation strategies for improvement. In contextualization of the intensification of agriculture and climate change, we proposed a set of indicators for assessing agricultural sustainability in Bangladesh based on theoretically proposed and practically applied indicators by researchers. Also, this article raises several issues of indicator system development and presents a summary after due consideration. Finally, we underline multi-stakeholders’ participation in agricultural sustainability assessment.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Asian Development Bank (ADB) (2004) Country environmental analysis Bangladesh, 3rd draft. pp 1–79

  • Alauddin M, Quiggin J (2008) Agricultural intensification, irrigation and the environment in South Asia: issues and policy options. Ecol Econ 65(1):111–124

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Andrieu N, Piraux M, Tonneau JP (2007) Design of sustainability indicators of the production systems in Brazilian semi-arid area by the analysis of biomass flows. Int J Sustain Dev 10(1/2):2007

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barrow CJ, Chan NW, Masron TB (2010) Farming and other stakeholders in a tropical highland: towards less environmentally damaging and more sustainable practices. J Sustain Agric 34(4):365–388

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bell S, Morse S (2001) Breaking through the glass ceiling: who really cares about sustainability indicators? Local Environ 6(3):291–309

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bell S, Morse S (2008) Sustainability indicators. Measuring the incommensurable?. London, Earthscan

    Google Scholar 

  • Berroterán JL, Zinck JA (1996) Indicators of agricultural sustainability at the national level: a case study of Venezuela. Research report

  • Binder C, Wiek A (2001) Sustainability spaces: a new concept to evaluate development using indicator systems. In: Inaugural conference for industrial ecology, The Netherlands, November 12–14

  • Binder CR, Steinberger J, Schmidt H, Schmid A (2008) Sustainability solution space for the Swiss milk value added chain: combing LCA data with socio-economic indicators. In: Proceedings of the 6th international conference on LCA in the agri-food sector, Zurich, November 12–14

  • Bockstaller C, Girardin P (2003) How to validate environmental indicators. Agric Syst 76(2):639–653

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bockstaller C, Girardin P et al (1997) Use of agro-ecological indicators for the evaluation of farming systems. Eur J Agron 7(1):261–270

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bossel H (2001) Assessing viability and sustainability: a systems-based approach for deriving comprehensive indicator sets. Conserv Ecol 5(2):12

    Google Scholar 

  • Chan NW (2004) Managing water resources in the 21st century: involving all stakeholders towards sustainable water resources management in Malaysia. Environmental Management Programme, Centre for Graduate Studies, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi

  • Chen SK (2000) The establishment of evaluation and indices system for Chinese sustainable development. World Environ 1:1–9

    Google Scholar 

  • Cloquell-Ballester VA, Cloquell-Ballester VA et al (2006) Indicators validation for the improvement of environmental and social impact quantitative assessment. Environ Impact Assess Rev 26(1):79–105

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Communication from the Commission (COM) (2001) European commission, the council and the European parliament, statistical information needed for indicators to monitor the integration of environmental concerns into the common agricultural policy

  • Costanza R (1993) Developing ecological research that is relevant for achieving sustainability. Ecol Appl 3(4):579–581

    Google Scholar 

  • Dantsis T, Douma C et al (2010) A methodological approach to assess and compare the sustainability level of agricultural plant production systems. Ecol Indic 10(2):256–263

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dillon EJ, Hennessy T, Hynes S (2009) Towards measurement of farm sustainability-an Irish case study. Contributed paper prepared for presentation at the international association of agricultural economists conference, Beijing, China, August 16–22

  • Dougill AJ, Reed MS et al (2006) Learning from doing participatory rural research: lessons from the Peak District National Park. J Agric Econ 57(2):259–275

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dunlap RE, Beus CE et al (1993) What is sustainable agriculture? An empirical examination of faculty and farmers definitions. J Sustain Agric 3(1):5–41

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Eckert H, Breitschuh G, Sauerbeck DR (2000) Criteria and standards for sustainable agriculture. J Plant Nutr Soil Sci 163(4):337–351

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • European Commission (2001) A framework for indicators for the economic and social dimensions of sustainable agriculture and rural development. Agriculture Directorate-General, The Helsinki European Council

  • Fixdal J (1997) Consensus conferences as ‘extended peer groups’. Sci Publ Policy 24(6):366–376

    Google Scholar 

  • Fraser EDG, Dougill AJ et al (2006) Bottom up and top down: analysis of participatory processes for sustainability indicator identification as a pathway to community empowerment and sustainable environmental management. J Environ Manage 78(2):114–127

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Freebairn DM, King CA (2003) Reflections on collectively working toward sustainability: indicators for indicators. Aust J Exp Agric 43(3):223–238

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gafsi M, Favreau JL (2010) Appropriate method to assess the sustainability of organic farming Systems. In: 9th European IFSA symposium, 4–7 July 2010, Vienna, Austria

  • Girardin P, Bockstaller C, van der Werf HMG (1999) Indicators: tools to evaluate the environmental impacts of farming systems. J Sustain Agric 13(4):5–21

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gomez AA, Kelly DE, Syers JK, Coughlan KJ (1996) Measuring sustainability of agricultural systems at the farm level. In: Doran JW, Jones AJ (eds) Methods for assessing soil quality. SSSA Special Publication, Soil Science Society of America, Madison

    Google Scholar 

  • Gómez-Limón JA, Riesgo L (2008) Alternative approaches on constructing a composite indicator to measure agricultural sustainability. Paper prepared for presentation at the 107th EAAE Seminar “Modeling of Agricultural and Rural Development Policies”. Sevilla, Spain, January 29th–February 1st

  • Gómez-Limón JA, Riesgo L (2010) Sustainability assessment of olive grove in Andalusia: a methodological proposal. Research report funded by the ministry of science and innovation and for the European regional development fund through the research project SUSTENAGRI (AGL2009-12553-C02)

  • Gómez-Limón JA, Sanchez-Fernandez G (2010) Empirical evaluation of agricultural sustainability using composite indicators. Ecol Econ 69(5):1062–1075

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gowda MJC, Jayaramaiah KM (1998) Comparative evaluation of rice production systems for their sustainability. Agric Ecosyst Environ 69(1):1–9

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Guijt WJ (1996) Policies that work for sustainable agriculture and regenerating rural economies: some methodological considerations. Sustainable Agriculture Programme, IIED, London, England

  • Guttenstein E, Scialabba NEH, Loh J, Courville S (2010) A conceptual framework for progressing towards sustainability in the agriculture and food sector, FAO—ISEAL Alliance discussion paper

  • Häni F, Braga F, Stämpfli A, Keller T, Fischer M, Porsche H (2003) RISE—a tool for holistic sustainability assessment at the farm level. Int Food Agribus Manage Rev 6(4):78–90

    Google Scholar 

  • Häni F, Gerber T, Stämpfli A, Porsche H, Thalmann C, Studer C (2006) An evaluation of tea farms in southern India with the sustainability assessment tool RISE. In: Symposium ID-105, The first symposium of the International Forum on Assessing Sustainability in Agriculture (INFASA), March 16, Bern, Switzerland

  • Hansen JW (1996) Is agricultural sustainability a useful concept? Agric Syst 50:117–143

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Heikens A (2006) Arsenic contamination of irrigation water, soil and crops in Bangladesh: risk implication for sustainable agriculture and food safety in Asia. FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, Bangkok

    Google Scholar 

  • Hendriks K, Stobbelaar DJ, van Mansvelt JD (2000) The appearance of agriculture. Assessment of landscape quality of horticultural farms in West Friesland. Agric Ecosyst Environ 77(1–2):157–175

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hua-jiao Q, Wan-bin Z, Hai-bin W, Xu C (2007) Analysis and design of agricultural sustainability indicators system. Agric Syst 6(4):475–486

    Google Scholar 

  • Huq S, Ali SI, Rahman AA (1995) Sea-level rise and Bangladesh: a preliminary analysis. J Coast Res Special Issue 14:44–53

    Google Scholar 

  • Izac AMN, Swift MJ (1994) On agricultural sustainability and its measurement in small-scale farming in sub-Saharan agriculture. Ecol Econ 11(2):105–125

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • López-Ridaura S, Masera O, Astier M (2002) Evaluating the sustainability of complex socio environmental systems. The MESMIS framework. Ecol Indic 2(1–2):135–148

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • López-Ridaura S, van Keulen H, van Ittersum M, Leffelaar P (2005) Multi-scale methodological framework to derive criteria and indicators for sustainability evaluation of peasant natural resource management systems. Environ Dev Sustain 7(1):51–69

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Meul M, van Passel S, Nevens F et al (2008) MOTIFS: a monitoring tool for integrated farm sustainability. Agron Sustain Dev 28(2):321–332

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Meul M, Nevens F, Reheul D (2009) Validating sustainability indicators: focus on ecological aspects of Flemish dairy farms. Ecol Indic 9(2):284–295

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAFF) (2000) Towards sustainable agriculture (a pilot set of indicators). MAFF, London

  • Ministry of Environment and Forestry (MoEF) (2008) Bangladesh climate change strategy and action plan 2008, September 2008

  • Mitchell G, May A, Mc-Donald A (1995) PICABUE: a methodological framework for the development of indicators of sustainable development. Int J Sustain Dev World Ecol 2(2):104–123

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Moxey A (1998) Cross-cutting issues in developing agri-environmental indicators. Paper presented At OECD workshop On agri-environmental indicators plenary session 1, York, pp 22–25

  • Nambiar KKM, Gupta AP, Fu Q, Li S (2001) Biophysical, chemical and socio-economic indicators for assessing agricultural sustainability in the Chinese coastal zone. Agric Ecosyst Environ 87(2):209–214

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nardo M, Saisana M, Saltelli A et al (2005) Handbook on constructing composite indicators: methodology and user guide (STD/DOC(2005)3). OECD Statistics Directorate, Paris

  • Pannell DJ, Glenn NA (2000) A framework for the economic evaluation and selection of sustainability indicators in agriculture. Ecol Econ 33(1):135–149

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pinter L, Bizikova L, Kutics K, Vari A (2008) Developing a system of sustainability indicators for the Lake Balaton region. Tájökólogiai Lapok 6(3):271–293

    Google Scholar 

  • Pretty J, Smith G, Goulding KWT et al (2008) Multi-year assessment of Unilever’s progress towards agricultural sustainability: indicators, methodology and pilot farm results. Int J Agric Sustain 6(1):37–62

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rasul G, Thapa GB (2004) Sustainability of ecological and conventional agricultural systems in Bangladesh: an assessment based on environmental, economic and social perspectives. Agric Syst 79(3):327–351

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Reed MS, Fraser EDG, Dougill AJ (2006) An adaptive learning process for developing and applying sustainability indicators with local communities. Ecol Econ 59(4):406–418

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rigby D, Woodhouse P et al (2001) Constructing a farm level indicator of sustainable agricultural practice. Ecol Econ 39(3):463–478

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Saifia B, Drake L (2008) A co-evolutionary model for promoting agricultural sustainability. Ecol Econ 65(1):24–34

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sands GR, Podmore TH (2000) A generalized environmental sustainability index for agricultural systems. Agric Ecosyst Environ 79(1):29–41

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sauvenier X, Valckx J et al (2006) Framework for assessing sustainability levels in Belgian agricultural systems—SAFE. Part 1: sustainable production and consumption patterns. Final report—SPSD II CP 28. Belgian Science Policy, Brussels

  • Schäfer D, Schoer K, Seibel S, Zieschank R, Barkmann J, Baumann R, Meyer U, Mǘller F, Lehniger K, Steiner M, Wiggering H (2002) In: Walter C (ed) Sustainability assessment of land use systems. PhD dissertation, Institute of Vegetable and Fruit Science, Natural Sciences, University of Hanover, Germany

  • Scholz RW, Tietje O (2002) Embedded case study methods. Integrating quantitative and qualitative knowledge. Sage, London

  • Sharma D, Shardendu D (2011) Assessing farm-level agricultural sustainability over a 60-year period in rural eastern India. Environmentalist 31(3):325–337

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Singh RK, Murty HR et al (2009) An overview of sustainability assessment methodologies. Ecol Indic 9(2):189–212

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Smith CS, Mc-Donald GT (1998) Assessing the sustainability at the planning stage. J Environ Manage 52(1):15–37

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Smyth AJ, Dumanski J (1993) FESLM: an international framework for evaluating sustainable land management. World soil resources report 73. FAO of the United Nations, Rome

  • Sydorovych O, Wossink A (2008) The meaning of agricultural sustainability: evidence from a conjoint choice survey. Agric Syst 98(1):10–20

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tschirley J (1996) Use of indicators in sustainable agriculture and rural development. Sustainable Development: Environment, FAO Research, Extension and Training Division

  • UN Commission on Sustainable Development (UNCSD) (2001) Indicators of sustainable development: framework and methodologies. Background paper No. 3, UN, New York

  • Van Calker KJ, Romero C et al (2006) Development and application of a multi-attribute sustainability function for Dutch dairy farming systems. Ecol Econ 57(4):640–658

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Van Cauwenbergh N, Biala K, Bielders C, Brouckaert V, Franchois L, Garcia Cidad V, Hermy M, Mathijs E, Muys B, Reijnders J, Sauvenier X, Valckx J, Vanclooster M, Van der Veken B, Wauters E, Peeters A (2007) SAFE—A hierarchical framework for assessing the sustainability of agricultural systems. Agric Ecosyst Environ 120(2–4):229–242

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vecchione G (2010) EU rural policy: proposal and application of an agricultural sustainability index, Munich personal RePEc archive (MPRA) paper no. 27032

  • Von Wirén-Lehr S (2001) Sustainability in agriculture-an evaluation of principal goal oriented concepts to close the gap between theory and practice. Agric Ecosyst Environ 84(2):115–129

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Walter C (2005) Sustainability assessment of land use systems. PhD dissertation. Institute of Vegetable and Fruit Science, Natural Sciences, University of Hanover, Germany

  • Walter C, Stutzel H (2009) A new method for assessing the sustainability of land-use systems (I): identifying the relevant issues. Ecol Econ 68(5):1265–1287

    Google Scholar 

  • WHO (1999) Principles for the assessment of risks to human health from exposure to chemicals. Environmental health criteria No. 210. World Health Organization, Geneva

    Google Scholar 

  • Wiek A, Binder C (2005) Solution spaces for decision making—a sustainability assessment tool for city-regions. Environ Impact Assess Rev 25(6):589–608

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • WSSD (2002) Report of the world summit on sustainable development. Johannesburg

  • Zahid A, Ahmed SR (2006) Groundwater resources development in Bangladesh: contribution to irrigation for food security and constraints to sustainability. Groundw Gov Asia Ser 1:27–46

    Google Scholar 

  • Zahm F, Viaux P et al (2008) Assessing farm sustainability with the IDEA method from the concept of agriculture sustainability to case studies on farms. Sustain Dev 16(4):271–281

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhen L, Routray JK (2003) Operational indicators for measuring agricultural sustainability in developing countries. Environ Manage 32(1):34–46

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhen L, Routray JK et al (2005) Three dimensions of sustainability of farming practices in the North China Plain: a case study from Ningjin County of Shandong Province, PR China. Agric Ecosyst Environ 105(3):507–522

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhen L, Zoebisch MA, Chen G, Feng Z (2006) Sustainability of farmers’ soil fertility management practices: a case study in the North China Plain. J Environ Manage 79(4):409–419

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This article is based on the review of the first author’s doctoral dissertation, entitled “The Influence of Natural and Human Factors in Rice Farming Sustainability in Bangladesh”, supervised by the second author. Financial support was received from TWAS-USM (University Sains Malaysia) Postgraduate Fellowship, Penang, Malaysia is greatly acknowledged.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Agricultural Extension and Information System, Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka, Bangladesh

    Ranjan Roy

  2. Department of Geography, School of Humanities, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang, Malaysia

    Ngai Weng Chan

Authors
  1. Ranjan Roy
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Ngai Weng Chan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ranjan Roy.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Roy, R., Chan, N.W. An assessment of agricultural sustainability indicators in Bangladesh: review and synthesis. Environmentalist 32, 99–110 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10669-011-9364-3

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10669-011-9364-3

Keywords

Search

Navigation