A field pratical approach for assessing biophysical sustainability of alternative agricultural systems

Participatory research and farmer-led extension principles are employed to conduct meaningful monitoring and evaluation while working within the constraints encountered in the field by farmers and rural agents. This assessment method is characterized as Field Practical, that is, it is (1) quick, (2) inexpensive, (3) easily applied, (4) of direct and immediate relevance, and (5) a tool for stimulating project productivity. It harmonizes external expertise with local experience for biophysical sustainability assessment of proposed production alternatives in the context of the local agricultural system. This is accomplished via a Likert rating survey based on locally defined criteria and indicators and has two outputs: (1) a Summary Measure based on weighted average ratings giving indication of overall patterns of contributions to the biophysical sustainability of the agricultural system and (2) Frequency Distribution Matrices for more detailed analyses of the data. Statistical tests for differences add discriminatory power. This assessment was applied in northern Ecuador, but could be adapted to other locations.