A field practical 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 const raints encountered in the field by farmers and rural agents. This assessmen t method is characterized as Field Practical, that is, it is (1) quick, (2) inexpensive, (3) easily applied, (4) of direct and immediate relevance, an d (5) a tool for stimulating project productivity. It harmonizes external e xpertise 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 de fined criteria and indicators and has two outputs: (1) a Summary Measure ba sed on weighted average ratings giving indication of overall patterns of co ntributions to the biophysical sustainability of the agricultural system an d (2) Frequency Distribution Matrices for more detailed analyses of the dat a. Statistical tests for differences add discriminatory power. This assessm ent was applied in northern Ecuador, but could be adapted to other location s. (C) 2001 published by Elsevier Science Ltd.