Sustainability indicators in the context of family farming: A systematic and bibliometric approach

Abstract

Actions that promote the sustainability of small-scale agricultural activities are fundamental to maintaining the supply and diversification of products, generating income, and minimizing their environmental impact. This study aimed to identify the main economic, environmental, and social indicators used in studies focused on food production by family farming. A systematic literature review was performed in the Scopus database, where 22 original articles were identified. The largest number of publications was observed in Italy and the United States of America, followed by Brazil, India, Poland, and the United Kingdom. The main aspect observed in the publications was the interrelationship of the three spheres of sustainability, highlighting the importance of integrated monitoring. Some indicators identified were: in the economic sphere, financial planning, productivity, and profitability; in the environmental sphere, soil use and quality, water, erosion, temperature, and energy; and in the social sphere, food security, job and income generation, and government subsidies. A holistic approach to the use of monitoring indicators as a tool for sustainability is fundamental, but there are few studies that evaluate these three spheres; mainly in the field of agribusiness, due to its greater diversity of activities and aspects to be monitored.