A qualitative multi-attribute model for sustainability assessment of agriculture at field crop level

Sustainable agriculture encompasses economic feasibility, social acceptance, and conservation of the environment. The three agricultural systems (conventional, integrated and organic) are currently in the focus of debate of sustainable agriculture. This paper presents a qualitative multi-attribute model, based on DEX-I methodology, for the assessment of sustainability of agricultural systems at a field level. The data for the implementation was based on field trial. In an overall assessment of the sustainability assessment outcomes the model ranked agricultural systems in the order: organic > integrated > conventional agricultural system. The model gives the decision makers the possibility to assess their decision.