Regresar

Urban organic producers assessed the MuSIASEM methodology to improve agroecosystems from sustainability

Abstract:

Sustainable agriculture seeks to imitate natural ecosystems and be economically and socially viable. Sustainability requires indicators that serve as information tools to understand the environmental consequences of development. In this sense, the Multi-scale integrated analysis of societal and ecosystem metabolism (MuSIASEM) is an analytical framework that allows a multi-criteria and multi-scale quantitative sustainability analysis. Under this context, the objective of this research was to evaluate the social metabolic profile of AGRUPAR - CONQUITO certified organic producers through MuSIASEM. For this purpose, we applied a structured instrument to a statistically representative sample. The main result was the biophysical characterization of the producers, from the resulting livelihoods, considering five capitals. Economic capital, as an income-generating activity, is found in the primary sector. Regarding physical capital, producers have adequate infrastructure for the production of urban gardens and bio-fairs for commercialization. About natural capital, 48 % of production units have between 200 to 500 m2, and 88 % participate in the family farming system. Concerning human capital, 85 % are women between 38 and 65 years old. Finally, in the social capital, 100 % attend associative activities. The information gathered in the productive ecosystems allows an analysis of the decision-makers regarding the generation of policies.