Performance Of Farming Systems Research Articles

Investments are more than money: Emerging investment rationales and farmers in the Danish agri-food system

Danish and European farming increasingly depends on external investments due to a surge in farmland prices, capital intensive production facilities and structural development. In response, the land market has been deregulated giving external investors access to ownership of Danish farmland. Based on farming systems theory, this article explores the impacts of this policy reform. We identify four emerging investment rationales: 1) family business, 2) investment object, 3) social and ecological finance and 4) value-chain cooperation. We argue that the emergence of these new investment rationales reflects a fundamental change in financial conditions; today investors are more involved in asset management and use a range of new devises, such as benchmarking tools, farm advisory boards and contracts, to observe the performance of farming systems and to allocate funding. However, changing conditions are also the result of an evolving agri-food sector, which has deliberately pursued a growth strategy characterised by capital intensive mergers and expansion, financed by external investments. For agri-food studies this implies that the boundaries of farming systems are broadened and the individual farmer cannot be the sole entrance to the analysis, but this financialization constitute a new reality that increasingly need to be considered.

Irrigation water demand management to address water scarcity

Improving irrigation water productivity is one of the most important ways to deal with water scarcity. Water pricing is considered a crucial tool for water demand management. This research aims atestimating the price elasticity of irrigation water demand in public and private areas of Nadhour using an Ordinary Least Squares regression (OLS). The paper assesses the economic performance of farming system and compares the value of marginal productivity (VMP) of irrigation water to the prices of water. A structured questionnaire and field visits were used to collect data from 140 farmers. Results show that irrigation water demand is less responsive to water price variation. Estimated elasticities are-0.69 and -0.44 respectively in the public and private schemes. The total irrigated area and farmers’ status are the most significant determinants of water demand. Results showed that water productivity in private farming systems is higher than recorded in public farming systemsand the VMP of irrigation water exceeds the prices paid for water

Investigating the physiological response and antibody concentration of gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata) following Vibrio anguillarum vaccination depending on the stress coping style

Stress coping styles (SCSs) are defined as coherent sets of individual physiological and behavioral differences in stress response consistent across time and context and are described in a wide range of taxa, including fishes. These differences in behavior and physiology are of great interest because they may have direct implications on animal health, welfare, and performance in farming systems, including aquaculture. In this study, the physiological responses of sea bream (Sparus aurata) from different SCSs following Vibrio anguillarum vaccination were monitored. Fish were first screened either bold or shy (proxy of proactive and reactive SCSs, respectively) using group risk-taking tests and were then injected with a vaccine against V. anguillarum. Following vaccination, the fish were implanted with an accelerometer tag to monitor their swimming activity (proxy of energy expenditure), and blood sampling was carried out to measure health and welfare parameters (e.g., cortisol, glucose, hemoglobin) and aspecific immunity (e.g., protease, total proteins). In addition, blood was also collected at three different sampling times to screen antibody levels and, thus, to evaluate the efficiency of the vaccine. Following vaccination, bold fish displayed lower swimming activity values, indicative of lower energy expenditure, and also displayed higher levels of hematocrit, total proteins, and lysozyme in the plasma than the shy ones, which could be indicative of better health/welfare status and greater aspecific immunity. Finally, the V. anguillarum vaccination appeared to be more efficient in bold fish since the number of total antibodies was found higher than in shy fish 1 month after vaccination. Such results could help improve both health/welfare and productivity of farmed sea breams by selecting more robust fish, better adapted to farming conditions.

Typological analysis of farming systems diversity and performance: A case study of Southern Tunisia

In Tunisian arid regions, farming systems are increasingly exposed to quick environmental and socio-economic changes, which may reduce their performance and resilience. This paper seeks to assess the performance of farming systems in the district of Sidi Makhlouf (Southeast of Tunisia) considering their diversity. Thus, a typology of farms based on data from the 2004-2005 structure surveys was developed using multidimensional analyzes and the expert method. Multidimensional analyzes have identified three groups of farms: “Rain-fed olive farms”, “Irrigated farms”, and “Livestock farms”. Representative farms were chosen by local agricultural experts to conduct an in-depth analysis of the identified groups. Then, two field surveys were performed with the chosen farmers. Characterization and analysis of homogeneous "reference farm groups" confirm their socioeconomic and technical performance diversity, according to the capital endowment and the strategies implemented by farmers. These results suggest that agricultural policies and interventions should be targeted to strengthen performances and to respond to the specific contexts of each farms’ group.

Distribution of agricultural gumption in various agroecosystem as a strategy to maintain farm household income sustainability

The research was conducted in Manggarai District, East Nusa Tenggara Province with the research objectives were to describe (i) existing farming system performance, (ii) planting calender, cropping pattern, and harvesting calender, and (iii) farmer’s strategies to manage their farm and income. The district has two agroecosystems, there are dry land and wet climate high land, and dry land and climate and low land. Data was collected from 12 subdistrict in Manggarai district, by using Focus Group Discussion and observation method. The research results showed that farmer’s strategyies were (a) growing multy commodities, so agricultural gumption and income distributed along the year, (b) in certain months were household income was supported by several commodities, but in other months were supported by only one commodity even there is no income. In high land zone, there is a range of time that is supported by several commodities, and in the low land zone, there are two supports from several commodities. In the two zones, there are several months with low income, so it is needed to find the other activity such as off farm and nonfarm to get income. The various farming activities which is running by farmers have aims to distribute risks, food security and also maintain agriculture product stability.

"Integrated Farming System: A Profitable Venture for Tribal farmers in Southern Rajasthan"

The present study was conducted to evaluate the improved integrated farming system performance at the fields of 30 selected tribal farmers of three selected villages of Vallabhnagar tehsil of Udaipur district (Rajasthan) during 2018-19 and compared with the benchmark year 2015-16. Various interventions from MPUAT experts were provided regarding inputs and their timely use and the training programs for these farmers. It was concluded that during 2018-19 FS IV (Crop + Dairy + Vegetable) and FS V (Crop + Dairy + Vegetable + Fruit Orchard) were highly efficient as these systems gave the highest returns per rupee of investment. In contrast, FS VIII (Crop + Dairy + Goat + Vegetable + Fruit Orchard) was efficient in terms of employment generation as it leads to the generation of 463 man-days. As a result, higher profitability and productivity with the lesser cost of cultivation of improved integrated farming system were obtained compared to the existing integrated farming system during the benchmark year.

Farmers’ Attitude and Factors Influencing The Adoption of Artificial Insemination in Goat Farming System

Small Ruminant such goats are familiar to keep growing for a farming system in the rural area. However, farmers are facing many problems to grow them. This study describes the goat farming system's performance in the rural area based on the farmers’ attitude and factors influencing farmers in adopting Artificial Insemination of the goat farming system. This study was conducted in Wunduwatu Village Andoolo Sub District, South Konawe District of Southeast Sulawesi Province in 2015. The research method was employed based on the survey and interview using a questionnaire through a purposive sampling method for selecting respondents that have chosen 30 farmers. Research findings show that its farming system's performance indicated the traditional pattern such as feed performance and farm management. It is due to the lack of skill and lack of capital. Most of the respondent farmers (44.29%) perceived artificial insemination is a good program. Moreover, 60.50% of respondents stated that using artificial insemination is better than using a male / natural mating.

Linking Ecosystem Services and the SDGs to Farm-Level Assessment Tools and Models

A number of tools and models have been developed to assess farm-level sustainability. However, it is unclear how well they potentially incorporate ecosystem services (ES), or how they may contribute to attaining the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Understanding how farm-level assessment tools and models converge on these new paradigms of sustainability is important for drawing comparison on sustainability performances of farming systems, conducting meta-analyses and upscaling local responses to global driving forces. In this study, a coverage analysis was performed for several farm-level sustainability assessment (SA) tools (SAFA, RISE, KSNL, DLG) and models (MODAM, MONICA, APSIM), in regard to their potential for incorporating ES and contribution to attaining the SDGs. Lists of agricultural-relevant CICES classes and SDG targets were compiled and matched against the indicators of the tools and models. The results showed that SAFA possessed the most comprehensive coverage of ES and SDGs, followed by RISE and KSNL. In comparison to models, SA tools were observed to have a higher degree of potential for covering ES and SDGs, which was attributed to larger and broader indicators sets. However, this study also suggested that, overall, current tools and models do not sufficiently articulate the concept of ecosystem services.

How do Stakeholders Perceive the Sustainability and Resilience of EU Farming Systems?

SummaryAn increasing variety of stresses and shocks provides challenges and opportunities for EU farming systems. This article presents findings of a participatory assessment on the sustainability and resilience of eleven EU farming systems, to inform the design of adequate and relevant strategies and policies. According to stakeholders that participated in workshops, the main functions of farming systems are related to food production, economic viability and maintenance of natural resources. Performance of farming systems assessed with regard to these and five other functions was perceived to be moderate. Past strategies were often geared towards making the system more profitable, and to a lesser extent towards coupling production with local and natural resources, social self‐organisation, enhancing functional diversity, and facilitating infrastructure for innovation. Overall, the resilience of the studied farming systems was perceived as low to moderate, with robustness and adaptability often dominant over transformability. To allow for transformability, being reasonably profitable and having access to infrastructure for innovation were viewed as essential. To improve sustainability and resilience of EU farming systems, responses to short‐term processes should better consider long‐term processes. Technological innovation is required, but it should be accompanied with structural, social, agro‐ecological and institutional changes.

Integrated Sustainability Assessment of Divergent Mediterranean Farming Systems: Cyprus as a Case Study

A variety of indicator-based methods have been developed for the sustainability assessment of farming systems (FSs). However, many of them lack holisticity, focus on a specific agricultural sector/product, and do not provide aggregated results to better support decision-making process. The goal of this study was, for the first time, to assess, in a holistic manner, the sustainability performance of different FSs in southeastern Cyprus. The methodological framework involved three major steps. First, the sustainability context was set, and a list of 41 environmental, social, and economic indicators was created. The indicators were then calculated using data from 324 farms. Second, six FSs were identified using multivariate analysis. Finally, the sustainability of FSs was assessed by combining numerical (construction of four composite sustainability indices) and visual (presentation of indicator scores and values with graphs and tables) integration approaches. While the indices provided the “big picture”, visual integration revealed the areas where policy interventions are needed. The analysis showed that sustainable agricultural practices are already used by some farmers in the area. The results could be used for benchmarking purposes and to aid decision-making process in Cyprus but might also be useful for other Mediterranean regions with similar agro-ecological conditions.

PENGEMBANGAN BUDIDAYA LORONG BERBASIS TANAMAN PERKEBUNAN DI DATARAN TINGGI SEKITAR DANAU TOBA

<p>Penelitian budidaya lorong bcrbasis tanaman perkebunan di sekitar Danau Toba telah dilaksanakan di kabupaten Simalungun Sumatera Utara dai bulan November 1999 - Januari 2002. Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah unluk (I) mengidenlifikasi potensi dan peluang pengembangan tanaman perkebunan dan (2) memperoleh model usahatani yang layak dikembangkan pada daerah dataran tinggi sekitar Danau Coba Pcnarikan contoh acak secara berlapis dilakukan untuk memperoleh data primer dan petani/kelompok tani dan pedagang pcngumpul. I.apis pertama adalah kabupaten, kedua kecamatan dan ketiga adalah desa. Data sckundcr diperoleh dari instansi terkait yaitu UPS, Dinas Perkebunan lingkat propinsi dan kabupaten, BPN, I3PTP Gcdong Johor, BPK Ack Nauli dan kantor kecamatan. Berdasarkan penelitian yang Iclah dilaksanakan di dataran tinggi Danau Toba dapat diambil kesimpulan bahwa dari keadaan lahan dan iklim, sarana dan prasarana, kcragaan usahatani serta pemasaran. tanaman perkebunan berpeluang untuk dikembangkan di dalaran tinggi Danau Toba. Model yang dipilih dalam penerapan tanaman perkebunan dan tanaman pangarvhortikullura adalah model yang dapal mclcstarikan sumberdaya lahan, menccgah erosi dan memberikan nilai tambah kepada petani. Model tersebut adalah budidaya lorong dengan tanaman kopi yang ditanam segitiga sebagai pembentuk lorong dan baricr penahan erosi Diantara lorong ditanam tanaman jahe dan tanaman cabai merah secara tumpang gilir, dengan nilai BCR antara 1.07 -1.25. Pcngurangan laju erosi dengan penanaman kopi mencapai 30-44%.</p><p>Kata kunci : Coffeae sp, Zingiber oicinale, potensi, peluang, Danau Toba, sumberdaya lahan, erosi, budidaya lorong, dalaran tinggi</p><p> </p><p><strong>ABSTRACT </strong></p><p><strong>Development of estate crop based alley cropping in the area of Toba Lake</strong></p><p>Alley cropping research on estate crops in area of Toba I ,ake was carried oul in Simalungun, North Sumatera from November 1999 to January 2002 The objectives were (1) to identify the polcncy and probability to develop estate crops and (2) lo obtain farming system model which are feasible to develop. Purposive stratified Random Sampling had been conducted lo obtain pimary data from farmers/farmers group and traders. The irst level was regency, the second sub distict and the third was village. Secondary data were obtained from related institution Based on the condition of soil and climate, facility, farming system performance and marketing. It could be concluded that estate crops had polcncy lo develop in upland area of Toba Lake. The model Uiat had to be selected was a model that could preserve land resource, prevent erosion, and increase farmers' income. The model was alley cropping based on triangle-planted coffee as erosion barrier. Ginger and red pepper were planted rotation between alleys. The value of BCR was 1.07 -1 25. The erotion rate decreased about 30-44%.</p><p>Key words : Cofeae sp, Zingiber oficinale, potency, probability, Toba Lake, erosion, alley cropping, upland</p>

How to Address the Sustainability Transition of Farming Systems? A Conceptual Framework to Organize Research

Stakeholders from academic, political, and social spheres encourage the development of more sustainable forms of agriculture. Given its scale and scope, the sustainability transition is a challenge to the entire agricultural sector. The main question is, how to support the transition process? In this article, we explore how agricultural science can address the sustainability transition of farming systems to understand and support transition processes. We discuss the potential for articulating three research approaches: comprehensive analysis, co-design, and simulation modeling. Comprehensive analysis of the sustainability transition provides perspectives on the interplay between resources, resource management, and related performances of farming systems on the one hand and technical, economic, and sociocultural dimensions of change on the other. Co-design of the sustainability transition stimulates local-scale transition experiments in the real world and identification of alternatives for change. Simulation modeling explores future-oriented scenarios of management at multiple levels and assesses their impacts. We illustrate the articulation of research approaches with two examples of research applied to agricultural water management and autonomy in crop-livestock systems. The resulting conceptual framework is the first one developed to organize research to understand and support the sustainability transition of farming systems.

Feasibility of ley-farming system performance in a semi-arid region using spatial analysis

In order to assess feasibility of ley farming system performance in the Aq-Qala township, a semi-arid region in north of Iran, Multi-Criteria Analysis (MCA) method and Geographic Information System (GIS) techniques were integrated to evaluate the suitability of wheat, barley and annual alfalfa cultivation. The agronomic and ecological requirements of three crops were identified from available scientific literatures. In this study, environmental variables were included: 1) average, minimum and maximum temperatures, 2) precipitation, 3) slope, 4) slope aspects, 5) elevation and 6) soil characteristics such as organic matter, pH, electrical conductivity (EC), texture, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, iron, and zinc. Weights of these variables were extracted from analysis of Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) questionnaires. The suitability analysis was based on matching between land qualities/characteristics and crop requirements. It was done by the weighted overlay technique (WOT) in GIS. In order to assess the land suitability of ley farming system performance, the digital suitability layers of three crops were overlaid and integrated in GIS media by raster calculator functions, then zoning of region was done in 4 classes, including: Highly suitable, moderately suitable, marginally suitable and non-suitable. Our results indicated that 35.1% (35495.20ha) of total areas of studied region is suitable for ley farming system. According to the generated agricultural suitability map, it was determinate that 15.2% (20681.77ha) of the region is non-suitable for ley-farming performance, 19.5% (23245.74ha) is marginally suitable and, 30.2% (33725.60ha) is moderately suitable. Highly suitable, moderately suitable and marginally suitable lands were expected to have a crop yield of 80–100%, 60–80% and 40–60% of the yield under optimal conditions with practicable and economic inputs, respectively. It was found that the most areas of the southern and central parts of Aq-Qala are the highly and moderately suitable regions. The results demonstrated that the high EC, low OM and low rainfall are the key limiting factors in non-suitable areas.

Effects of changing farm management and farm structure on energy balance and energy-use efficiency—A case study of organic and conventional farming systems in southern Germany

Abstract Fossil energy input, energy output, and energy use- efficiency (EUE) are important indicators of the environmental effects, resource consumption and economic performance of farming systems. In this study, the energy balance (process analysis) and EUE of different organic and conventional farming systems – mixed farming, arable farming, and agroforestry (AGFS) systems – were analyzed due to their importance in Germany. The analysis was based on long-term experiments at the Scheyern Research Farm in southern Germany. The results showed that the conversion from multi-structured organic mixed farming to a specialized organic arable farming system reduced the fossil energy input in crop production only marginally (from 5.9 to 5.5 GJ ha −1 yr −1 ), but considerably decreased dry matter yield (from 5.4 to 2.5 Mg ha −1 yr −1 ), energy output (from 99 to 46 GJ ha −1 yr −1 ) and EUE (from 16.8 to 8.3). Improved management in the conventional arable farming system (with high-yielding varieties and better N management) reduced the energy input from 14.0 to 12.2 GJ ha −1 yr −1 , increased the energy output from 155 to 179 GJ ha −1 yr −1 , and elevated the EUE from 11.1 to 14.6. The establishment of AGFS with short rotation trees (without fertilization and pesticide use) led to the reduction of energy input. Based on the results, we concluded that mixed farming is one of the best ways of producing food with high EUE under the conditions of organic farming. Therefore the conversion from organic mixed farming to an organic arable farming system is not recommended. Our AGFS results were from the first stage of a long-term experiment; it showed no negative effects on DM yield and energy output and positive effects on energy-use efficiency at this stage. However, further research is needed to know the long-term influence of AGFS.

Wheat farming system performance and irrigation efficiency in Pakistan: a bootstrapped metafrontier approach

AbstractThe depletion of groundwater aquifers has raised serious concerns about the sustainability of groundwater resources with serious repercussions to irrigated agriculture in Pakistan. Within the context of diminishing water resources, it is important to improve agricultural water productivity by making efficient use of the available water resources. This study uses bootstrapped metafrontier data envelopment analysis to investigate technical and irrigation water use efficiency (IWE) of wheat farming in Pakistan. The study uses a cross‐sectional dataset of 200 groundwater‐irrigated wheat farms comprising 100 tube‐well owners and 100 non‐owners (water buyers). The study results suggest considerable improvements in technical and IWE in wheat production among the surveyed farms. The tube‐well owners, on average, are 82% and the water buyers, on average, are 77% technically efficient under the metafrontier framework with slightly higher estimates under the group frontier estimations. The IWE estimates indicate, on average, 66% and 65% IWE among tube‐well owners and water buyers when assessed under the metafrontier specification. As technical efficiency, the group frontier estimates indicate slightly higher IWEs compared to the metafrontier estimates. The most influential factors affecting technical and IWE include farmers’ education, improved seed variety, and farmers’ perceptions about groundwater resource quality and availability.

Larval development of indigenous South American freshwater fish species, with particular reference to pacu (Piaractus mesopotamicus): A review

In recent years, a number of South American freshwater fish have gained increasing attention for their potential in aquaculture, not only because of their excellent performance in farming systems but also to meet the high consumer demand for these species due to declining fishery resources. Many South American freshwater species are migratory and produce altricial larvae, with a small amount of yolk reserves. Unlike precocial freshwater species and altricial coldwater marine fish, these freshwater fish investigated have rapid yolk depletion and metamorphosis. Specific studies on the initial development of South American fish are scarce and fragmented. One of the most widely studied species is the pacu (Piaractus mesopotamicus), farmed in warm continental waters. In the present review we compile new and published data on the initial development of pacu, including morphogenesis of the skeletal, muscle, digestive and sensory systems; compare it to other Neotropical species; and discuss the importance of this information to develop larviculture protocols. When pacu larvae exhaust yolk reserves, they initiate a new form of interaction with the environment, becoming exclusively exotrophic. This type of interaction is made possible by the rapid development of sensory, skeletal, locomotor and digestive structures. In addition to understanding fish ontogeny, studies on larval development are necessary to improve farming systems and larviculture techniques aimed at producing high-quality juveniles in aquaculture.

Developing the role of perennial forages for crop–livestock farms: a strategic multi-disciplinary approach

Developing new and improved grazing systems for crop–livestock farms where crop production is the major driver of farm management decisions presents a unique research and development challenge. In southern Australia, a substantial proportion of animal production from grazing comes from regions and farms where cropping is the major enterprise. In this paper, we describe a multi-disciplinary farming-systems research approach (EverCrop) aimed at improving farm profitability, risk management and environmental impacts through the development and integration of new grazing options with an emphasis on perennial species. It has been used to analyse and target new opportunities for farmers to benefit from perennial species across dry Mediterranean-type and temperate regions of southern Australia. It integrates field experimentation, on-farm trialling, farmer participatory research, soil–plant–climate biophysical modelling, whole-farm bioeconomic analysis and evaluations of adoptability. Multi-functional roles for summer-active grasses with winter cropping, integration of forage shrubs and establishment of new mixes of perennial grasses in crop rotations to improve farming system performance are identified, along with an analysis of factors likely to affect rate of uptake by farmers.

Yield and economic performance of organic and conventional cotton-based farming systems--results from a field trial in India.

The debate on the relative benefits of conventional and organic farming systems has in recent time gained significant interest. So far, global agricultural development has focused on increased productivity rather than on a holistic natural resource management for food security. Thus, developing more sustainable farming practices on a large scale is of utmost importance. However, information concerning the performance of farming systems under organic and conventional management in tropical and subtropical regions is scarce. This study presents agronomic and economic data from the conversion phase (2007–2010) of a farming systems comparison trial on a Vertisol soil in Madhya Pradesh, central India. A cotton-soybean-wheat crop rotation under biodynamic, organic and conventional (with and without Bt cotton) management was investigated. We observed a significant yield gap between organic and conventional farming systems in the 1st crop cycle (cycle 1: 2007–2008) for cotton (−29%) and wheat (−27%), whereas in the 2nd crop cycle (cycle 2: 2009–2010) cotton and wheat yields were similar in all farming systems due to lower yields in the conventional systems. In contrast, organic soybean (a nitrogen fixing leguminous plant) yields were marginally lower than conventional yields (−1% in cycle 1, −11% in cycle 2). Averaged across all crops, conventional farming systems achieved significantly higher gross margins in cycle 1 (+29%), whereas in cycle 2 gross margins in organic farming systems were significantly higher (+25%) due to lower variable production costs but similar yields. Soybean gross margin was significantly higher in the organic system (+11%) across the four harvest years compared to the conventional systems. Our results suggest that organic soybean production is a viable option for smallholder farmers under the prevailing semi-arid conditions in India. Future research needs to elucidate the long-term productivity and profitability, particularly of cotton and wheat, and the ecological impact of the different farming systems.

The Impacts of Temporary Labour Migration on Farming Systems of the Loess Plateau, Gansu Province, China

ABSTRACTAcross much of rural China, members of farm households spend parts of the year working in cities to generate additional income. This process of temporary labour migration has gathered pace in recent years as rural households capitalise on China's economic expansion and look to improve their own levels of well‐being. Yet, to date, relatively little research has examined the impacts of temporary migration on the structure and performance of farming systems. Accordingly, this paper examines the ways in which temporary migration has resulted in significant changes to the nature of farming on the Loess Plateau in Gansu Province. It draws primarily on a survey of 175 households in three different agroclimatic zones. The analysis indicates that temporary migration is associated with quite complex changes in land use, agricultural production and farm enterprise productivity. Although households involved in temporary migration tend to have higher incomes than non‐migration households, this appears to be at the expense of farm productivity. Indeed, higher levels of migration are closely associated with more extensive, low labour farming practices, suggesting a tendency towards disinvestment in agricultural enterprise. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Identifying agroecological mixed farming strategies for local conditions in San Antonio de Los Baños, Cuba

Building on previous research at the experimental and national scales, this study was carried out at the local scale over a four-year period on three farms of reference: one specialized dairy farm ‘Vaquería 10’ (33.7 ha) and two mixed farms, ‘Remedio’ (9.4 ha) and ‘La Sarita’ (47 ha). All three farms are located in the San Antonio de Los Baños municipality, Havana, Cuba. This study illustrates the application of the Ecological Framework for the Assessment of Sustainability (ECOFAS). This methodology consists of a cyclical structure of six steps, aimed at guiding the process of implementing innovative mixed (crop–livestock) farming strategies. Local stakeholders (farmers, researchers, extension officers and representatives of the ministry of agriculture in the municipality) identified alternative strategies for agriculture in the region, based on the critical technological, environmental and socio-economic factors constraining the current performance of farming systems. The results show that implementation of ‘best practice’ mixed farming systems management strategies in the region potentially can lead to a strong positive impact on land productivity, food self-sufficiency as well as improve socio-economic performance.