Sustainable Agriculture’s Contribution to Quality of Life

Abstract

The multidimensional character of sustainable agriculture mandates a systematic examination of this concept, necessitating methodological rigor for comprehensive analysis. In line with this imperative, the formulation of the composite index for sustainable agriculture was achieved through a compound, multi–stage procedural framework. This process involved the systematic grouping of 44 indicators into a specialized set, thereby delineating distinct facets within the dimensions of environmental (comprising 20 indicators), economic (comprising 16 indicators), and social (comprising 8 indicators) domains. This study aims to establish the correlation between the advancement of sustainable agriculture and quality of life, which encapsulates the circumstances of an individual’s existence. The significance of probing this correlation lies in the fact that sustainable agriculture, rooted in the efficient utilization of natural, social, and economic resources, inherently influences the quality of life—a paramount objective in the realm of social development. The quality of life in this study is represented by the Quality–of–Life Index (QoL) computed by CEO World. To achieve the aforementioned objective, a combination of complex methodologies was employed, encompassing quantitative analyses (statistical, bibliometric) and qualitative analyses (analysis and synthesis). The outcomes reveal that a systemic approach is most suitable for researching sustainable agriculture. The assessment of sustainable agriculture through the composite index underscores the relevance of all three dimensions in its formulation. Results from the correlation analysis suggest a robust connection between sustainable agriculture and quality of life. Simultaneously, a prominent level of interdependence between GDPs per capita and sustainable agriculture is observed.