Implementation of the concept of sustainable intensification to a real farm – Was its development over 17 years a sustainable intensification?

‘Sustainable intensification’ (SI) in agriculture is the objective of several contributions. An important question concerns whether farms have already reached SI? To answer this question, an assessment approach is required. Unfortunately, there is no universally accepted approach available. This stu...

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Main Authors: Norman Siebrecht, Harald Schmid
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2020-03-01
Series:International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability
Subjects:
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14735903.2020.1743073
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author Norman Siebrecht
Harald Schmid
author_facet Norman Siebrecht
Harald Schmid
author_sort Norman Siebrecht
collection DOAJ
description ‘Sustainable intensification’ (SI) in agriculture is the objective of several contributions. An important question concerns whether farms have already reached SI? To answer this question, an assessment approach is required. Unfortunately, there is no universally accepted approach available. This study presents an assessment approach that was adapted for the assessment of a real farm. The farm was analysed for over 17 years, and the development of the farm is presented and evaluated in terms of SI. Within this study, the adaption of the approach for the assessment is first described based on a defined procedure. Based on these results, whether the farm has reached SI is discussed. The most important results are that the farm has established a process of intensification. To assess the ‘environmental sustainability’ of this process, several subthemes and indicators are analysed. From 17 selected parameters, 7 declines, 6 improve and 4 remain almost constant. Whether the development can be called ‘sustainable intensification’ is discussed then. We finally draw attention to existing methodological deficits and limitations that will be included in later work or that could be considered in other assessment approaches.
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spelling doaj.art-21b98715191b4cf496f53c950aeb10062023-09-19T15:22:20ZengTaylor & Francis GroupInternational Journal of Agricultural Sustainability1473-59031747-762X2020-03-0118215117110.1080/14735903.2020.17430731743073Implementation of the concept of sustainable intensification to a real farm – Was its development over 17 years a sustainable intensification?Norman Siebrecht0Harald Schmid1Chair of Organic Farming and Agronomy, Technical University MunichChair of Organic Farming and Agronomy, Technical University Munich‘Sustainable intensification’ (SI) in agriculture is the objective of several contributions. An important question concerns whether farms have already reached SI? To answer this question, an assessment approach is required. Unfortunately, there is no universally accepted approach available. This study presents an assessment approach that was adapted for the assessment of a real farm. The farm was analysed for over 17 years, and the development of the farm is presented and evaluated in terms of SI. Within this study, the adaption of the approach for the assessment is first described based on a defined procedure. Based on these results, whether the farm has reached SI is discussed. The most important results are that the farm has established a process of intensification. To assess the ‘environmental sustainability’ of this process, several subthemes and indicators are analysed. From 17 selected parameters, 7 declines, 6 improve and 4 remain almost constant. Whether the development can be called ‘sustainable intensification’ is discussed then. We finally draw attention to existing methodological deficits and limitations that will be included in later work or that could be considered in other assessment approaches.http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14735903.2020.1743073sustainable intensificationassessmentindicatorsfarmadaptionprocedure
spellingShingle Norman Siebrecht
Harald Schmid
Implementation of the concept of sustainable intensification to a real farm – Was its development over 17 years a sustainable intensification?
International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability
sustainable intensification
assessment
indicators
farm
adaption
procedure
title Implementation of the concept of sustainable intensification to a real farm – Was its development over 17 years a sustainable intensification?
title_full Implementation of the concept of sustainable intensification to a real farm – Was its development over 17 years a sustainable intensification?
title_fullStr Implementation of the concept of sustainable intensification to a real farm – Was its development over 17 years a sustainable intensification?
title_full_unstemmed Implementation of the concept of sustainable intensification to a real farm – Was its development over 17 years a sustainable intensification?
title_short Implementation of the concept of sustainable intensification to a real farm – Was its development over 17 years a sustainable intensification?
title_sort implementation of the concept of sustainable intensification to a real farm was its development over 17 years a sustainable intensification
topic sustainable intensification
assessment
indicators
farm
adaption
procedure
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14735903.2020.1743073
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