Files
Abstract
The aim of this paper is to carry out a comparative analysis of alternative methods on constructing
composite indicators to measure global sustainability of the agricultural sector. This comparison is
implemented empirically on the irrigated agriculture of the Duero basin (Spain) as a case study. For
this purpose, this research uses a dataset of indicators previously calculated for different farm-types
and policy scenarios. The results allow to establish a hierarchy of the policy scenarios on the basis of
the level of sustainability achieved. Furthermore, analyzing the heterogeneity of different farms-types
in each scenario, is also possible to determine the main features of the most sustainable farms in each
case. All this information is useful in order to support agricultural policy design and its
implementation, trying to increase the sustainability of this sector.