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INFASA Symposium Overview (2006)

The 1^st INFASA Symposium brought together 100 participants representing academia; private and public sectors; NGOs; and farmers from 18 countries of five continents. The Symposium took place on March 16 and 17, 2006 in Bern, Switzerland. The event initiated a dialogue on the mainstream implementation of indicator and assessment systems in the sustainable agriculture context. The pillars of science, policy and practice form the basis of an ongoing dialogue on tools and methods to strategically advance the agricultural sustainability agenda.

Introductions, two keynote addresses and eight presentations provided fodder for lively discussion at the panel session. This momentum was then carried forward at a smaller workshop for invited experts on March 17, 2006. Participants convened into four thematic working groups and discussed the following topics: 1) demand-oriented tools and methods; 2) linkages to policy; 3) capacity building and communication; and 4) synergies and cooperation. A farm tour on March 18 concluded the Symposium and provided further insight into farm-level perspectives.

The Symposium and Workshop resulted in a wealth of interaction and idea exchange. The following is a preliminary synthesis of the results. The Symposium meeting report provides more in-depth information about the dialogue that took place.

Symposium Outcomes

• Coordination and working towards common assessment tools and methods
  A unique aspect of the Symposium was the combination of multiple perspectives, including those held by policy-makers, corporations, farmers, NGOs and researchers. A central theme emerging from these discussions was the need to work towards more transparent and standardized measurement and assessment approaches among the various developer and user groups, from the farm through the policy level to business and consumers. There is a need to tailor additional measures that reflect specific local conditions or user needs. A starting point could be at the level of accepting common language, terminology and concepts to describe the approaches we are using. INFASA should consider, in its next phase, a focus on launching an international process to agree on common Criteria and Indicators for sustainable agriculture.

• Measurement and assessment tools
  At the level of tool development, a number of issues emerged around addressing trade-offs between complexity and manageability, with emphasis on the need for simple, robust and transparent systems that users can understand. Besides aggregation algorithms, visualization and communication were recognized as important. Measurement tool development and use is seen not only as a technical exercise but one in which the participation of stakeholders plays a critical role. In the context of tools, several perennial problems such as data availability and quality constraints, and the challenge of developing indicators for the social dimension received attention.

• Linkages to policy
  In order to realize their potential, indicators and assessment need to be relevant for—and have an impact on—policy. The policy arenas within which indicators and assessment have a role are diverse and many of them may be increasing in importance, due possibly to the need for a stronger evidence base and the ability to better evaluate current and emerging risk. The policy areas identified as important included the evaluation of sustainability impact along the supply chain in the international trade context and the increasing need for verification in sustainability certification and standards schemes. Strengthening the evidence base will also be critical for any progress on the economic valuation of agriculture-related externalities, including ecosystem goods and services.

• Farm-level applications
  While many of the assessment-related issues arise in the policy domain, ultimately they need to be translated into measures that affect practices at the producer and industry level. We saw several examples of practical, farm-level applications that are linked to very specific practices and are producing real results. Rather than being stand-alone tools, there was a discussion of embedding them in farm planning and management systems. Possibilities for application of assessment tools in developing countries were well illustrated by several examples. Besides government policy, the need for farm-level applications can arise through the requirements of agri-food corporations as well as the demand from farmers, if value can be added to them.

  The Symposium concluded with a clear message: INFASA is indeed filling a gap by initiating a dialogue across a diversity of policy and application contexts. Measurement and assessment tools and practices are becoming increasingly important in several policy contexts and have demonstrated potential to reorient production systems. In order to match the policy and industry needs with the interests and capabilities of the assessment practitioner community, the possibility of learning from the well-established criteria and indicator (C&I) initiatives of other sectors, such as forestry and fisheries, was raised and received general support.

Download the proceedings (PDF - 3.7 mb).

We acknowledge the generous support of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) and:

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