Click here to download

The determinants of ranking in sustainable efficiency of Italian farms
Journal Title: RIVISTA DI STUDI SULLA SOSTENIBILITA' 
Author/s: Paolo Cupo, Rinalda Alberta Di Cerbo 
Year:  2016 Issue: 2 Language: English 
Pages:  19 Pg. 141-159 FullText PDF:  347 KB
DOI:  10.3280/RISS2016-002013
(DOI is like a bar code for intellectual property: to have more infomation:  clicca qui   and here 


This study individuates the determinates of the farms’ sustainability following the approach based on the concept of sustainable value formulated by Figge and Hann (2004), which integrates the environmental, economic and social components into a single monetary indicator that takes into account the opportunity cost of the resources used defined by a benchmark. The results of the GLM regression show that almost all the structural characteristics have a significant impact on the sustainable efficiency of the farms, while the specialized farms perform better than mixed farms like the young and male farmers. Moreover, the highly significant and positive coefficients of correlation between the three components of sustainability, demonstrate that no trade-off exists between them.
Keywords: Sustainability, efficiency, ranking, capital, opportunity cost, benchmark

  1. Fanfani R. (2012). L’evoluzione delle aziende agricole italiane attraverso cinquant’anni di censimenti (1961-2010). Agriregionieuropa, 31: 6-10.
  2. Allen P., Van Dusen D., Lundy J., Gliessman S. (1991). Integrating social, environmental and economic issues in sustainable agriculture. American Journal of Alternative Agriculture, 6: 34-39.
  3. Andreoli M., Rossi R., Tellarini V. (1999). Farm sustainability assessment: some procedural issues. Landscape and Urban Planning, 46, 1-3: 41-50.
  4. Andreoli M., Tellarini V. (2000). Farm sustainability evaluation: methodology and practice. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment, 77, 1-2: 43-52.
  5. Ang F., Van Passel S. (2010). The Sustainable Value approach: A clarifying and constructive comment. Ecological Economics, 69: 2303-2306.
  6. Arellanes P., Lee D.R. (2003). The determinants of adoption of sustainable agriculture technologies: evidence from the hillsides of Honduras, Proceedings of the 25th International Conference of Agricultural Economists (IAAE), 16-22 August, Durban, South Africa.
  7. Atkinson G., Hett T., Newcombe J. (1999). Measuring corporate sustainability. CSERBE working paper.
  8. Binder C.R., Feola G., Steinberger J.K. (2010). Considering the normative, systemic and procedural dimensions in indicator based sustainability assessments in agriculture. Environmental Impact Assessment Review, 30: 71-81.
  9. Boehlje M. (1992). Alternative Models of Structural Change in Agriculture and Related Industries. Agribusiness, 8: 219-231.
  10. Buttel F.H. (1989). The sociology of agriculture: current conceptual status. The rural sociologist, Spring: 16-26.
  11. Callens I., Tyteca D. (1999). Towards indicators of sustainable development for firms: a productive efficiency perspective. Ecological Economics, 28, 1: 41-53.
  12. Cary J., Webb T., Barr N. (2001). The adoption of sustainable practices: Some new insights – An analysis of drivers and constraints for the adoption of sustainable practices derived from research. Land & Water Australia Project Reference Number: BRR19.
  13. Constanza R., Daly H.E., Bartholomew J.A. (1991). Goals, agenda, and policy recommendations for ecological economics. In: Constanza R. (ed.). Ecological Economics: The Science and Management of Sustainability. Columbia University Press.
  14. Curtis A., MacKay J., Van Nouhuys M., Lockwood M., Byron I., Graham M. (2000). Exploring landholder willingness & capacity to manage dryland salinity: The Goulburn broken catchment, Albury, Johnstone Centre, Charles Sturt University.
  15. De Souza Filho H.M. (1997). The adoption of sustainable agricultural technologies: a case study in the State of Espírito Santo, Brazil, Ashgate publishing Ltd.
  16. De Souza Filho H.M., Young T., Burton M.P. (1999). Factors Influencing the Adoption of Sustainable Agricultural Technologies Evidence from the State of Espırito Santo, Brazil. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 60, 97-112.
  17. Dunlap R.E., Beus C.E., Howell R.E., Waud J. (1992). What is sustainable agriculture? An empirical examination of faculty and farmer definitions. Journal of Sustainable Agriculture, 3: 5-39.
  18. FAO (1989). Sustainable Development and Natural Resources Management. Twenty-Fifth Conference, Paper C 89/2 - sup. 2. Rome.
  19. Farrell A., Hart M. (1998). What does sustainability really mean? The search for useful indicators. Environment 40, 9: 4-9.
  20. Fazio R., Rodriguez Baide J.M., Molnar J.J. (2016). Barriers to the Adoption of Sustainable Agricultural Practices: Working Farmer and Change Agent Perspectives. Final report, Southern Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program (SARE) and the Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station, Auburn University.
  21. Fehèr I., Beke J. (2013). The rationale of sustainable agriculture. Iustum Aequum Salutare, 3: 73-87.
  22. Figge F., Hahn T. (2004). Sustainable value added – measuring corporate contributions to sustainability beyond eco-efficiency. Ecological Economics, 48: 173-187.
  23. Figge F., Hahn T. (2005). The cost of sustainability capital and the creation of sustainable value by companies. Journal of Industrial Ecology, 9, 4: 47-58.
  24. Figge F., Hahn T. (2009). Not measuring sustainable value at all: A response to Kuosmanen and Kuosmanen. Ecological Economics, 69: 244-249.
  25. Gasparatos A. (2010). Embedded value systems in sustainability assessment tools and their implications. Journal of Environmental Management, 91: 1613-1622.
  26. Gómez-Limón L.A., Riesgo L. (2009). Alternative approaches to the construction of a composite indicator of agricultural sustainability: An application to irrigated agriculture in the Duero basin in Spain, Journal of Environmental Management, 90: 3345-3362.
  27. Gomez-Limon J., Sanchez-Fernandez G. (2010). Empirical evaluation of agricultural sustainability using composite indicators. Ecological Economics, 69, 5: 1062-1075.
  28. Häni F., Braga F., Stämpfli A., Keller T., Fisher M., Porche H. (2003). RISE, a tool for holistic sustainability assessmen at the farm level. International food and agribusiness management review, 6, 4: 78-90.
  29. Hansen J.W. (1996). Is agricultural sustainability a useful concept? Agricultural systems, 50:117-143.
  30. Hart S.L. (1997). Beyond greening: strategies for a sustainable world. Harvard Business Review, 75, 1: 66-76.
  31. Harte M.J. (1995). Ecology, sustainability, and environment as capital. Ecological Economics, 15: 157-164.
  32. Hediger W. (2000). Sustainable development and social welfare, Ecological Economics, 32: 481-492.
  33. Herring H., Roy R. (2002). Sustainable services, electronic education and the rebound effect. Environmental Impact Assessment Review, 22, 5: 525-542.
  34. Izac A.N.M., Swift M.J. (1994). On agricultural sustainability and its measurement in small-scale farming in sub-Saharan Africa. Ecological Economics, 11: 105-125.
  35. Jacobs M. (1995). Sustainable Development, Capital Substitution and Economic Humility: A Response to Beckerman. Environmental Values, 4: 57-68
  36. Jollands N., Lermit J., Patterson M. (2004). Aggregate eco-efficiency indices for New Zealand – a principal component analysis. Journal of Environmental Management, 73: 293-305.
  37. Kessler J.J. (1994). Usefulness of the human carrying capacity concept in assessing ecological sustainability of land-use in semi-arid regions. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment, 48: 273-284.
  38. Krajnc D., Glavič P. (2005). A model for integrated assessment of sustainable development. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 43, 2: 189-208.
  39. Kuosmanen T., Kuosmanen N. (2009). How not to measure sustainable value (and how one might). Ecological Economics, 69: 235-243.
  40. Lynam J.K., Herdt R.W. (1989). Sense and sustainability: sustainability as an objective in international agricultural research. Agricultural Economics, 3: 381-398.
  41. Lopez-Ridaura S., Van Keulen H., Van Ittersum M.K., Leffelaar P.A. (2005). Multiscale methodological framework to derive criteria and indicators for sustainability evaluation of peasant natural resource management systems. Environment, Development and Sustainability, 7: 51-69.
  42. Lynam J.K., Herdt R.W. (1989). Sense and sustainability: sustainability as an objective in international agricultural research. Agricultural Economics, 3: 381-398.
  43. McCullagh P., Nelder J.R. (1990). Generalized Linear Models. CRC Press, 2nd edition.
  44. Marchand F., Debruyne L., Triste L., Gerrard C., Padel S., Lauwers L. (2014). Key characteristics for tool choice in indicator-based sustainability assessment at farm level. Ecology and Society, 19, 3: 46-57.
  45. Massot A. (2016). Gli strumenti della pac e le loro riforme, Note sintetiche sull’Unione europea, Parlamento europeo, Bruxelles, 6.
  46. Mayumi K., Giampietro M., Gowdy J.M. (1998). Georgescu-Roegen/Daly versus Solow/Stiglitz revisited. Ecological Economics, 27, 2: 115-117.
  47. Meul M., Nevens F., Verbruggen I., Reheul D., Hofman G. (2005). Eco-efficiency of specialized dairy farms in Flanders. Paper presented at the 11th annual international sustainable development research conference, Helsinki, June 6-8, Finland.
  48. Meul M., Van Passel S., Nevens F., Dessein J., Rogge E., Mulier A., Van Hauwermeiren A. (2008). MOTIFS: a monitoring tool for integrated farm sustainability. Agronomy for Sustainable Development, 28, 2: 321-332.
  49. Neher D. (1992). Ecological sustainability in agricultural systems: definitions and measurement. Journal of Sustainable Agriculture, 2: 51-61.
  50. Nelder J., Wedderburn R.W.M. (1972). Generalized linear Models. Journal of the Royal Statistical Society, A, 135: 370-384.
  51. Neill S.P., Lee D.R. (2001). Explaining the Adoption and Disadoption of Sustainable Agriculture: The Case of Cover Crops in Northern Honduras, Economic Development and Cultural Change, 49, 4: 793-820.
  52. Norman D., Janke R., Freyenberger S., Schurle B., Kok H. (1997). Defining and implementing sustainable agriculture. Kansas sustainable agriculture series n. 1.
  53. OECD (1998). Eco-efficiency. Organisation for economic co-operation and development, Paris.
  54. OECD (1999). Environmental Indicators for Agriculture, Concepts and framework, Vol. 1. OECD Proceedings. OECD Publication Service, Paris, France.
  55. OECD (2005). Farm structure and farm characteristics – links to non-commodity outputs and externalities. Working Party on Agricultural Policies and Markets. Paris. France.
  56. Pacini C., Giesen G., Wossink A., Omodei-Zorini L., Huirne R. (2004). The EU’s Agenda 2000 reform and the sustainability of organic farming in Tuscany: ecological-economic modelling at field and farm level. Agricultural Systems, 80, 2: 171-197.
  57. Paracchini M.L., Bulgheroni C., Borreani G., Tabacco E., Banterle A., Bertoni D., Rossi G., Parolo G., Origgi R., De Paola C. (2015). A diagnostic system to assess sustainability at a farm level: The SOSTARE model. Agricultural Systems, 133: 35-53.
  58. Pearce D., Atkinson G. (1998). The concept of sustainable development: an evaluation of its usefulness ten years after Brundtland. Swiss Journal of Economics and Statistics, 134: 251-269.
  59. Phillis Y.A., Davis B.J. (2009). Assessment of Corporate Sustainability via Fuzzy Logic. Journal of Intelligent & Robotic Systems, 55, 1: 3-20.
  60. Pretty J., Brett C., Gee D., Hine R., Mason C., Morison J., Raven H., Rayment M. and van der Bijl G. (2000). An assessment of the total external costs of UK agriculture. Agricultural Systems, 65, 2: 113-136.
  61. Reig-Martínez E., Gómez-Limón J.A. and Picazo-Tadeo A.J. (2011). Ranking farms with a composite indicator of sustainability. Agricultural Economics, 42: 561-575.
  62. Schmidheiny S. (1992). Changing course: global business perspective on development and the environment. MIT Press, Cambridge.
  63. Smith C.S., McDonald, G.T. (1998). Assessing the sustainability of agriculture at the planning stage. Journal of Environmental Management, 52: 15-37.
  64. Smith B., Smithers, J. (1993). Sustainable agriculture: interpretations, analyses and prospects. Canadian Journal of Regional Sciences, 16, 3: 499-524.
  65. Solow R. (1986). On the intertemporal allocation of natural resources. Scandinavian Journal of Economics, 88: 141-149.
  66. Statsoft (2008). Statistica 10.0. Dell Statistica, Tulsa, USA.
  67. Stern D. (1997). The capital theory approach to sustainability: a critical appraisal. Journal of Economic Issues, 31: 145-173.
  68. Tegtmeier E.M., Duffy M.D. (2004). External costs of agricultural production in the United States. International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability, 2, 1: 1-20.
  69. Tellarini V., Caporali F. (2000). An input/output methodology to evaluate farms as sustainable agroecosystems: an application of indicators to farms in central Italy. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment, 77, 1-2: 111-123.
  70. Tyteca D. (1998): Sustainability indicators at the firm level, pollution and resource efficiency as a necessary condition toward sustainability. Journal of Industrial Ecology, 2, 4: 61-77.
  71. UNCED (1992). United Nations Conference on Environment and Development. Rio de Janeiro, vol. 21 Agenda Brazil.
  72. Van Calker K.J., Berentsen P.B.M., Romero C., Giesen G.W.J., Huirne R.B.M. (2006). Development and application of a multiattribute sustainability function for Dutch dairy farming systems. Ecological Economics, 57, 4: 640-658.
  73. 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. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment, 120: 229-242.
  74. Van der Werf H.M.G., Petit J. (2002). Evaluation of the environmental impact of agriculture at the farm level: a comparison and analysis of 12 indicator-based methods. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment, 93, 1-3: 131-145.
  75. Van Passel S., Nevens F., Mathijs E., Van Huylenbroeck G. (2007). Measuring farm sustainability and explaining differences in sustainable efficiency. Ecological Economics, 62: 149-161. 9th European IFSA Symposium, 4-7 July 2010, Vienna (Austria).
  76. Van Passel S., Meul M. (2010). Multilevel sustainability assessment of farming systems: a practical approach. 9th European IFSA Symposium, 4-7 July 2010, Vienna (Austria).
  77. Vayssières J., Guerrin F., Paillat J-M., Lecomte P. (2009). GAMEDE: A global activity model for evaluating the sustainability of dairy enterprises Part I – Whole farm dynamic model. Agricultural Systems, 101, 3: 128-138.
  78. Vayssieres J., Bocquier F., Lecomte P. (2009). GAMEDE: A global activity model for evaluating the sustainability of dairy enterprises. Part II – Interactive simulation of various management strategies with diverse stakeholders. Agricultural Systems, 101, 3: 139-151.
  79. Von Wirén-Lehr S. (2001). Sustainability in agriculture – an evaluation of principal goal oriented concepts to close the gap between theory and practice. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment, 84: 115-129.
  80. Webster P. (1999). The Challenge of Sustainability at the Farm Level: Presidential Address. Journal of Agricultural Economics, 50, 3: 371-387.
  81. WECD (1987). Our Common Future, World Commission on Environment and Development. Oxford University Press.
  82. Westbury D.B., Park J.R., Mauchline A.L., Crane R.T., Mortimer S.R. (2011). Assessing the environmental performance of English arable and livestock holdings using data from the Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN). Journal of Environmental Management, 92: 902-909.

Paolo Cupo, Rinalda Alberta Di Cerbo, in "RIVISTA DI STUDI SULLA SOSTENIBILITA'" 2/2016, pp. 141-159, DOI:10.3280/RISS2016-002013

   

FrancoAngeli is a member of Publishers International Linking Association a not for profit orgasnization wich runs the CrossRef service, enabing links to and from online scholarly content