Proportion of agricultural area under productive and sustainable agriculture
Last updated on 1 February 2022
This indicator is currently classified as Tier II. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is the Custodian agency for this indicator.
Unit of measure: The indicator is unitless, expressing a ratio between area under sustainable and productive agriculture and total agricultural land area (%).
Why is this indicator important?
Harmful, unsustainable agricultural practices from extractive industries, large-scale agricultural producers, and peasants can pose significant risks to people and the environment. While sustainable agriculture was mainly defined by environmental criteria in the past, its economic and social dimension as come to the fore. A farm can only be sustainable if it is well managed and the well-being of those working at the farm is taken into consideration.
The indicator was developed through a multi-stakeholder process to ensure capturing the complex nature of sustainable agriculture.
How is the indicator measured and monitored?
The indicator’s scope centers around the agricultural land area of a farm holding including, extensive crop and livestock production systems, subsistence agriculture, agro-forestry, and aquaculture that takes place within the agricultural land area. Excluded are state and common land that is not used exclusively by farm holdings, pastoral pastures, backyard farming, forestry and aquaculture holdings. Agricultural area is defined as arable land plus land under permanent crops, meadows, and pastures.
The methodology was endorsed in late 2019, including both national farm surveys as a single data collection instrument as well as multi-dimensional data sources. According to the metadata document, data is collected through agricultural surveys or as integrated modules in already existing household surveys (e.g., AGRISurvey and the 50x2030 initiative) organized by national statistical agencies, with support from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and other international agencies. In addition, sensing, GIS, administrative data, or environmental monitoring systems were further identified as cost-effective instruments.
FAO, together with the Global Strategy to improve Agriculture and Rural Statistics (GSARS), have developed the capacity development material necessary for this indicator, such as a methodological guide, an enumerator manual, calculation document and an e-learning course.
By Anne Hennings, peer-reviewed by FAO.
Other related indicators on Land Portal
As official data is not yet available, the following indicators provide information concerning land area that is under certified organic use or in conversion.
| Indicator | Min-Max Number of years |
Countries / Obs | Min / Max Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agricultural area certified organic | |||
| Agricultural area in conversion to organic | |||
| Agricultural land | |||
| Arable Land | |||
| Arable land area certified organic | |||
| Arable land area in conversion to organic | |||
| Arable land organic, total | |||
| Land under perm. meadows and pastures | |||
| Land under permanent crops |
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SDG Indicator 2.4.1: Definitions & Terminologies
The Definitions & Terminologies for SDG Indicator 2.4.1.: “Percentage of agricultural area under productive and sustainable agriculture".
SDG Indicator 2.4.1: Percentage of Agricultural Area under Productive and Sustainable Agriculture
There has been considerable discussion over the past thirty years on how to define “sustainable agriculture.” During most of this period, sustainability was exclusively considered an environmental issue and was therefore measured as such.
By 2030, ensure sustainable food production systems and implement resilient agricultural practices that increase productivity and production, that help maintain ecosystems, that strengthen capacity for adaptation to climate change, extreme weather, drought, flooding and other disasters and that progressively improve land and soil quality
Indicator details
The indicator is conceptually clear, has an internationally established methodology and standards are available, but data is not regularly produced by countries.
Key dates:
FAO Expert meeting for SDG indicator 2.4.1
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