A participatory, territory-rooted and change-oriented approach to assess the multi-criteria contribution of an agrifood value chain to sustainable development

Abstract

Agrifood Value chains (AVCs) can be powerful driving forces for sustainable development. Multi-criteria analysis is particularly useful for supporting decision making on improvement measures in AVCs. Methodological guidelines are still needed to effectively integrate environmental and socio-economical assessment tools and indicators at this level.In this paper, we propose a participatory, territory-rooted and change-oriented framework. The framework is applied to analyse the contribution of the main local poultry AVC in Reunion Island to the sustainable development of the territory. The main stakeholders of the AVC participated in (i) identifying key territory challenges, (ii) selecting corresponding appropriate assessment methods and indicators, (iii) defining the perimeter of the AVC and (iv) the improvement scenarios to be explored, v) providing data inventory, and vi) interpreting the results of the assessment.Both the environmental life cycle assessment and the effect method fit the proposed framework particularly well. They were applied to the same AVC data inventory, improvement scenarios were explored and indicators were spatialized to distinguish the local impacts in the root territory and externalized impacts at the global scale.In the ecological dimension of our case study, most of the effects linked to the AVC activities which threaten resources conservation and ecosystem health are externalized. This is due to strong dependency on foreign resources: in the case of fossil energy and raw materials used for livestock feed, 82% of environmental impacts occur outside Reunion Island. In the socio-economic dimension, the employment created by the AVC is mainly local due to the use of local services, 89% of jobs are provided in Reunion Island. Improvement of on-farm eco-efficiency was shown to be a mitigation option that would significantly affect the impacts of the AVC. Human and ecosystem health, and resources conservation would be improved by respectively +2.2, +9.8 and +4.8,% at global scale. But the AVC industrial network and the community would also be negatively affected, by respectively -2.2 and -3.0%, at local scale. This study underlines trade-offs between the environmental and the socio-economic dimensions and methodological challenges associated with the effective integration of assessment methods originating from diverse disciplines.

Livestock grazing systems and sustainable development in the Mediterranean and Tropical areas

“…These results have been used by the sectors to promote eco-labelling or to lobby the European Commission for support for animal production on the island of Reunion. This study highlights the importance of the compromises between the environmental and socio-economic dimensions and the methodological challenges related to a real integration of evaluation methods from various disciplines at the scale of the entire sector (Vayssières et al, 2019).…”

Élevages au pâturage et développement durable des territoires méditerranéens et tropicaux

“…Ces résultats ont été repris par les filières pour faire de l'écoétiquetage ou argumenter auprès de la Commission européenne pour un soutien de productions animales à La Réunion. Cette étude souligne l'importance des compromis entre la dimension environnementale et la dimension socio-économique et les défis méthodologiques associés à une intégration réelle des méthodes d'évaluation issues de diverses disciplines à l'échelle de l'ensemble de la filière (Vayssières et al, 2019). Encadré 3.7.…”

Eco-Efficiency of the Fisheries Value Chains in the Gambia and Mali

“…Several LCA studies have explored the eco-efficiency of crops [ 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 ], livestock [ 28 , 29 ] and seafood systems [ 30 , 31 , 32 ] but few at the value chain level [ 33 , 34 , 35 ]. The goal of this work is to assess the environmental impacts and eco-efficiency of the Gambian and Malian fisheries-based value chains, to identify priorities for improvement and to offer recommendations aimed at improving the eco-efficiency and, thus, to reduce the environmental impacts of the concerned value chains while increasing their technical efficiency.…”