Summary
This review synthesises ecological theory to establish objective, evidence-based criteria for evaluating farm sustainability across diverse alternative farming approaches. By grounding metric selection in published ecological knowledge, the authors propose five key principles derived from regulating and supporting ecosystem service theory that could form the foundation of consensus-based sustainability assessment frameworks. The work addresses terminological confusion in alternative farming discourse by providing quantifiable indicators of agroecosystem function.
UK applicability
The framework is directly applicable to UK farm policy and practice assessment, particularly given the UK's emphasis on agroecological approaches and environmental land management schemes. The principles provide a structured foundation for evaluating UK farming systems against multiple environmental and agronomic outcomes.
Key measures
Habitat provision metrics; crop and non-crop habitat diversity indicators; edge density measures; nutrient-use efficiency proxies; disturbance intensity assessment tools
Outcomes reported
The study identified five ecological theory-based guiding principles and associated system metrics for objectively assessing farm sustainability across agroecological, conservation agriculture, regenerative, and sustainable intensification systems. The metrics proposed serve as proxies for agroecosystem function relating to habitat provision, diversity, edge density, nutrient efficiency, and disturbance regimes.
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