Sustainability is not a numeric indicator

For the past two years, NIBIO has been working on a project on sustainability in Norwegian agriculture, commissioned by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food. In this project, sustainability was defined as the ability of agriculture to endure, i.e. how a specific production or sector can develop in a way that ensures its viability and quality to meet the set goals.

“These goals are politically determined and may conflict with each other. You cannot calculate whether they will be achieved. In our report, we argue that sustainability cannot be assessed based on indicator scores and descriptions of the current situation,” says Dr Bakken.

She expresses concern that each year, there are fewer farms across most types of production, leading to fewer neighbouring farmers to collaborate with. This also weakens the foundation for veterinarians, farm relief workers, and other essential services.

“The benefits of having multiple producers are an example of something that is not captured if we reduce sustainability to scores on numeric indicators for labelling purposes.”

The report also emphasises the importance of preserving and developing what already works well. Norwegian agriculture has many strengths, including good plant and animal health, a well-organised industry, and high consumer trust. At the same time, the sector faces several challenges, such as improving the utilisation efficiency of nitrogen and phosphorus.

“To develop a sustainable Norwegian agricultural sector, we must understand what natural resources we have, production methods, value chains, sales, and markets, as well as the external drivers that influence their future conditions,” concludes Dr Bakken.