Developing indicators for assessment of the environmental impact of livestock farming in Ireland using the Agri-environmental Footprint Index
SMART indicators were developed using the AFI structure and method for relatively
extensive dry-stock, and relatively intensive dairy farming in the northwest and south of Ireland,
respectively. Both these farming contexts are subject to the same multi-objective Irish Rural
Environment Protection Scheme. The rationale and detailed structure of four indicators are presented;
these relate to: organic nutrient application, organic nutrient storage, the biodiversity value of
intensive grass husbandry, and the aesthetic landscape value of grass husbandry practice. Sixteen
other indicators are detailed in supplementary material. The majority of the indicators developed are
proxy indicators based on farm management practice, and provide an indirect measure or estimate of
likely environmental quality, or relative environmental risk. In many cases, the complexities of
environmental concerns required the development of integrative multi-metric indicators with
corresponding transformation functions. Wherever possible, these functions were based on known
(evidence-based) regional or national impact models. Such models (including quantification of relevant
environmental quality levels) were frequently unavailable, in which case a participatory process of
stakeholder and expert engagement was essential to fill knowledge gaps. Despite their customisation
to the farming contexts studied, the basic structure and underlying logic of many of the developed
indicators may be of much wider use in similar livestock-based agro-ecosystems. A common, georeferenced
spatial framework built on contextual indicators that takes into account climate and
farming type, would represent a significant advance in the harmonised development of indicators
relevant to analysis of agri-environmental policy.
LOUWAGIE Geertrui;
NORTHEY Greg;
FINN John;
PURVIS Gordon;
2013-01-30
ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV
JRC64694
1470-160X,
http://ac.els-cdn.com/S1470160X11003682/1-s2.0-S1470160X11003682-main.pdf?_tid=6a7f7c1a-657c-11e2-a25a-00000aab0f26&acdnat=1358959761_9047d3fcf026fa23d99b4393c3ae69a5,
https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC64694,
10.1016,
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