No abstract

Sustainability has been recognized, when facing multifaceted decision and policy making processes, as a discipline that broadens the scope under which issues are taken into account. This is considered important given the complex and interrelated challenges faced by societies nowadays. However, it has been found in literature that the sustainable approach still has several obstacles to tackle, from the weakening of its discourse to the lack of real influence and low consensus on its meaning and practice. To reinforce the operational side of sustainability, several methodologies have been designed and implemented over the years with two main shortcomings: an inability to assess sustainability issues as a whole and more specifically, a lack of practical steps that can be included on a day-today basis. Integrated assessment emerges as a possible way to summarize the complexity of studying issues from a broader perspective but it is applied in different ways with diverse outcomes that require careful examination. These outcomes are compared by analyzing four integrated assessment tools: life cycle assessment, cost-benefit analysis, stakeholder analysis and multiple scale integrated analysis of societal and ecosystem metabolism. The aim is to observe and determine the degree to which they contribute to the consolidation of the sustainable approach and how they support decision-making processes. It is intended that this exercise help build a diverse yet deep common base for further conversation that will facilitate the process of searching and selecting alternatives to drive socio-ecological systems towards a more sustainable future.

In Mexico, as in most food producing countries, a complex problem is found in the convergence of a need for a change in the current agro-industrial model for economic, social and environmental reasons and growing food demand. While the existence of strong economic barriers that question the continuity of conventional agribusiness is recognized, it is observed that alternatives such as organic farming have emerged within the same productive and commercial model. Although a sustainability approach broadens the scope of analysis the question is if it consolidates better agricultural practices while supporting decision-making processes and achieving yield goals. Settling previous research results, this paper aims to answer this question through the transposition of theoretical aspects of a case study: a project currently being held in Jalisco, Mexico to promote organic agriculture among maize producers. The exercise provided useful information on results and drawbacks to be expected when applying sustainable principles in the field. It was possible to implement practical actions appropriate to the socio-environmental context that matched economic goals of local farmers, improved soil quality and decreased environmental impacts and external dependence of rural Mexican communities. Nevertheless, the lack of trust between farmers and public institutions, skepticism towards change, the prevalence of immediacy and uncertainty of resource allocation make it hard to achieve any progress questioning whether results can be maintained long-term to facilitate the transition of agroecosystems towards a more sustainable future.