>
> >sanetters:
> >
> >I am currently working on some research to develop an index of
> environmental sustainability for agricultural systems, at the field level.
> It represents an attempt toward quantification of a "piece" of the overall
> sustainability picture: that is, isolating the environmental perspective of
> sustainability. The premise is that the index would serve as a rough meter
> stick for gaging the impact of agricultural systems on the environment,
> relative to one another.
> >
> >I realize that research such as this stirs up all sorts of issues. Any
> ideas/input that sanetters might have would be most appreciated. Thanks!
> >
> >Gary Sands
> >Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering, Oklahoma State University
> >
>
>
Greetings Gary,
I'm sorry for not responding earlier. Several colleagues and I have been
working on a Rockefeller Grant for the past 3 years related to the issue
you are addressing. Rockefeller has been interested in the issue of
setting up and measuring long term agricultural experiments around the
world. Towards this end IRRI, Rodale, World Food Institute, Rothamsted
Experimental Station, Washington State U., U of Missouri, Auburn U. and
others are putting together a book which will be released by John Wiley
and Sons, Ltd. under the title "Agricultural Sustainability In Economic,
Environmental and Statistical Terms" sometime this year. The predominate
method used in this book to measure the sustainability of the world's
longest running experiments are indexes. A theory chapter explains the
do's and don'ts of the method of using indexes. This may be of some use
to you.
Jim Novak, Assoc. Prof. & Extension Economist
Rm 304 Comer Hall
Auburn University, Al. 36849
jnovak@acenet.auburn.edu