Design of Farm Assessment Index (FAI) for a holistic comparison of farming practices: case of organic and conventional farming systems from two Indian states

ABSTRACT

A holistic set of indicators using a stock and flow framework is used to assess farming practices across socio-economic and ecological dimensions. We design a methodology to estimate, normalize, and aggregate the indicators to form composite indices. The indicators under each dimension are aggregated using the progressive weighted average to give three-dimensional indices viz. economic, social, and ecological indices, which are aggregated to give a single holistic index called Farm Assessment Index (FAI). Unlike other approaches where the comparison of farming system is restricted within the sample under study, normalization of indicators using regional averages makes the FAI suitable for universal comparisons of farming systems across crops and regions. The methodology was applied to evaluate farming practices of 60 organic and 60 conventional farmers, from two Indian states over three years. The results from the application of the FAI demonstrates that the focus on yield or income as the sole indicator for policy decisions will not lead to sustainable farming systems. Policy makers need to shift toward holistic measures emphasizing human health, the livelihood of farmers and sustenance provided by agroecology. Case studies prove FAI to be a valuable tool for decision-makers in assessing farm practices and designing better agricultural policies and programs.

KEYWORDS:

• Farm Assessment Index
• stock and flow framework
• indicators
• organic and conventional farming
• agricultural policy tool

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Ministry of Human Resource Development, New Delhi, India; National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), Mumbai, India [1387/P-234/2014-15].