Sustainability of Production Practices from an Agro-Ecological Perspective in Two Farms, Santa Fe Province, Argentina

Abstract

This article evaluates the viability of production systems that would allow the reconciliation of production, distributive equity, and preservation of natural resources, and shows the possibility of achieving these objectives on smaller areas than those required by the agricultural model prevailing in the region. Adaptations of MESMIS and emergetic evaluations were employed to assess the sustainability of two productive systems: 1) the typical local case of industrialized soybean farming with a high use of external inputs; and, 2) a diversified family farm production system. Results show that the mostly diversified and integrate system has better global sustainability values than industrialized system, even when utilized in smaller scale productive units.

Keywords:

• agroecology
• sustainability indicators
• energy
• emergy accounting

Acknowledgments

Translated by Virginia Serenelli, BA, Head, English Department, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Argentina.