Structural equation modeling for indicators of sustainable agriculture: Prospective of a developing country’s agriculture

Abstract

Sustainable agriculture can play significant roles in facilitating the betterment of land, water, air, and the overall environment. The concept of SA relies primly on economic, social, and ecological prospects, which mostly quantifies with some specific indicators. However, the indicator of SA may vary from region to region. The prime objectives of the study are to evaluate the relationship among crucial indicators of SA with the context of the Bangladeshi agriculture sector. The study comprised 22 indicators from the prospects of three prime aspects of SA and developed a structured model for fulfilling the objective of the study. We utilized the Partial Least Square of Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) tactics to evaluate the interconnection of environmental, social, and economic indicators for adopting sustainable agriculture approaches. The empirical data was collected from 357 listed farmers of Teesta Barrage Irrigation Project (TBIP), Bangladesh. The study revealed that there is a positive and significant interconnection among the environmental and economic indicators. While environmental and social indicators have possessed positive relationships. Economic and social indicators are also interconnected with each other for facilitating sustainable agriculture. The study is intended to assist the concerned authority and agriculture sector to understand the interdependencies of the identified indicators. The government should highlight the eco-environmental aspects and provide more concerns towards the socio-economic and socio-environmental aspects of SA indicators.