Proposal for a new indicator for assessing the global sustainability of livestock farms

One should be able to assess the global sustainability of farms regardless of their production system. The complex structure of livestock farms which depends on managing herds, crops and/or grassland, requires a benchmarking system that is based on agronomic concepts and quantifies input using a innovative and readily-transposable method. In this case, the proposed indicator is built on the notion 'of renewable and non-renewable sources' for energy and nitrogen, and rests on 4 elements: crop production, self-sufficiency, efficiency and persistence, evaluated on the basis of organic recycling (plant and animal waste). Calculating these elements requires accessible farm data. The example below illustrates the case of a daily farm. Assets and shortcomings of this indicator are discussed.