Viability of a multi-parcel agroecological system

To satisfy a rising demand, agricultural practices have shifted from the organic fertilization of soils to intensive and highly specialized farming that uses chemical fertilization. The resulting short-term increase in soil productivity has lead to serious ecological drawbacks over time, e.g., degradation of soil quality, pollution of water and air, and loss of biodiversity. Given this state of affairs, it is urgent to find alternative practices that preserve soil quality and, at the same time, ensure farmers receive acceptable revenues. In this work, we rely on viability theory to determine a set of policies that make it possible to reach this dual objective. The proposed multi-parcel land model is applied to data from the archipelago of Guadeloupe, located in the French West Indies.

Automated summary

To meet the increasing demand, agricultural practices have shifted from organic fertilization to intensive and specialized farming that uses chemical fertilization. However, this has resulted in serious ecological issues. This study proposes using viability theory to find policies that can preserve soil quality and ensure acceptable incomes for farmers.