Description

Sustainability of agricultural production systems must come at little or no cost to the primary producer. Such a maxim is particularly pertinent to farmers in the developing world, especially those close to subsistence, for whom the seasonal harvests determine marginal profit or loss.

We assessed the current vegetable production systems in terms of their financial integrity, their resource use and their perceived future, leading to a classification of farming types. Following this we, cooperatively with vegetable farmers, chose production technologies aimed at reducing environmental impact and enhancing income generation, and quantified their benefits and detractions.