harpinder sandhu - methods and metrics
TRANSCRIPT
Sustainability Assessment Tool
Dr Harpinder SandhuFlinders University, Australia
The True Cost of American Food, San Francisco 15-16, Aril 2016
Key challenges of global agriculture
Declining natural resources
Climate change
Consumption patterns
Market volatility
Two research/policy gaps1. Why we need to measure all externalities in
agriculture? • To reflect true cost of food production
2. Why we need to estimate economic value of externalities? • To influence economic and policy environment; to
improve sustainable farm practices; and to raise consumer awareness.
YIELDINPUTS OUTPUTS
Labour laws
Health and safety laws
Agriculture production systems
Soil protection
Biological control of pests/diseases
Improved biodiversity
Soil microbial activity
Reduce greenhouse gases
Nutrient cycling
Water regulationAesthetics
Eco tourism
Food
Shelter Firewood
Global estimates of two farmland ES values $34 billion annually
The largest industry on the planet1.3 billion people involved directly, $4 trillion in global GDP (6 %)
Sandhu, Wratten, Costanza, Pretty, Reganold, Porter 2015 PEER J
Farm Sustainability Assessment Tool
Production
DistributionConsumption
Production
Ecological and Economic Methods
Categories of externalities• Production value: • Environmental benefits: Water regulation, Carbon
sequestration by soil and vegetation, Nitrogen fixation, Nutrient cycling, Soil erosion control, Biological control of pests/diseases.
• Environmental costs: Green house gas emissions, External costs of pesticides and fertilser • Social benefits: Farm employment, Recreation,
Education.
Types Ecosystem services and disservices
Description Method used for valuation
Production benefits
Crop, livestock, milk etc. Provisioning services: These include food and services for human consumption,ranging from raw materials and fuelwood to the conservation of species and geneticmaterial
Market value
Environmental benefits
Water regulation: magnitude of water runoff, flooding, and aquifer recharge, water storage potential
Regulating services: Ecosystems regulate essential ecological processesand life-support systems through bio-geochemicalcycles and other biospheric processes
Avoided cost
Local climate regulation by carbon sequestration: Regulation of atmospheric chemical composition
Avoided cost
Soil erosion control: Role vegetative cover plays in soil retention
Avoided cost
Environmental benefits
Nitrogen fixation: Biological nitrogen fixation by legumes in crops and pastures
Supporting services: These are the services that are required to supportthe production of other ecosystem goods andservices
Avoided cost
Nutrient cycling: Organic matter breakdown to release stored nutrients for crop use
Avoided cost
Biological control of pests/diseases: Predators and parasites that control insect pests and diseases
Avoided cost
Environmental costs Greenhouse gas emissions Carbon-di-oxide equivalent emissions from inputs, tillage, fuel use, livestock on farm
Direct cost
Damage to water resources Infrastructure to treat pesticide and nitrate in water sources
Direct cost
Damage to soil resources Soil losses due to management practices
Replacement cost
Damage to ecosystems and biodiversity
Loss of biodiversity and impacts on other species
Replacement cost
Damage to human health Pathogens and agrochemical that can enter food chain
Replacement cost
Social benefits Employment: Employment generated on farm leads to benefits to wider community: Farm workers, families
Cultural services: Cultural services contribute to the maintenance ofhuman health and well-being by providing recreation,aesthetics and education
Market value
Recreation: Recreational pleasure in agriculture, Farm tours, visits
Market value
Education: Knowledge generated on farm can be disseminated to wider community through books, presentations at conferences etc
Market value
Way forward• to adopt technologies that have less detrimental
impacts on the human health and the environment. • consumers can make informed decisions to choose
products that have higher environmental and social benefits and less environmental costs.
• to develop a uniform metric system that can be used by food and agriculture industry as a label or a standard.
• to develop long term sustainable food and agriculture production systems.