Agroecosystem sustainability index ASI for measuring environmental and socioeconomic sustainability

Abstract

Developing scalable, context-specific sustainability assessments is a major challenge in agroecosystem management. This study presents the Agroecosystem Sustainability Index (ASI), a novel tool integrating environmental, economic, and social indicators for comprehensive agricultural sustainability assessment. Using county-level data from the U.S. Corn Belt (1997–2022), we applied advanced statistical methods, dimensionality reduction, and weighting schemes. A hybrid approach combining factor analytic weighting and weighted sum deviation proved most reliable. The ASI scores range from 1 to 100, with higher scores indicating greater sustainability. It identified three distinct grower patterns: “Optimizers,” “Emerging Conservationists,” and “Challenged Growers,” enabling targeted sustainability strategies. The ASI offers a robust, adaptable method applicable across diverse agricultural landscapes, supporting targeted interventions to enhance sustainability globally.