Abstract
Sustainable agriculture is one of the most important goals for the future of agriculture, environment and the humankind. The development of science and improvements of technology are key impetus to agriculture transformation. Suitable integrated evaluation method based on multi-dimension criteria is urgently needed to overcome the decision-making puzzle when facing various agricultural managements and technologies. This study compared the results of several evaluation methodologies: emergy, ecosystem services, life cycle assessment and environmental footprints, based on a case study of cropping systems in the North China Plain. The differences and limitations from the evaluation results force us to revise the framework for evaluating the sustainability of cropping systems. Therefore, we summarized the essential demands for agriculture to 4 targets in the revised evaluation frame: food production, economic profitability, resource conservation and environment-friendliness. The evaluation results based on revised framework indicated that the frame considered multi-dimension criteria for sustainable and cleaner production of agriculture and provided a reference standard for policymakers and stakeholders as well.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
