Designing an agricultural system to enhance the quality of human life based on the capability approach

Abstract

An agricultural system can play multiple functions in enhancing the quality of human life. In the analysis of the relationship between an agricultural system and the quality of human life, socio-economic-environmental contexts play extremely important roles. The capability approach (CA) analyses human development with a keen interest in equity among people by using two aspects of freedom, 'well-being freedom' and 'agency freedom'. In this paper, we discuss how this approach will assist to analyse the processes involved in a sustainable agricultural practice to sustainably enhance people's well-being. To do so, the CA framework should be modified into a dynamic framework. Application of this framework to the sustainable agricultural practice of Sado Island, Japan, will show its usefulness in investigating different manifestations of capability among varied farmers and aiding stakeholders to collectively deliberate desirable capability changes and intervention plans. Eventually, it will contribute to fair and sustainable management of agricultural systems.