A multicriteria approach for measuring the sustainability of different poultry production systems

This study aimed to analyze the sustainability of different poultry production systems and was intended as an integrated systems approach to address human food needs, environmental preservation, economic feasibility and quality of life. The sustainability of the following three poultry production systems was compared: conventional, organic and organic-plus (this category is comprised of more restrictive requirements to improve animal welfare and meat quality). A bio-economic model combining on-farm data recording with a multicriteria decision analysis (MCDA) was assessed. To make a general sustainability evaluation, the following four dimensions were considered: economic, social, environmental and quality. The majority of the data was collected directly on the farms, and the environmental indicators were estimated with life cycle assessment (LCA), ecological footprints and emergy analysis. To develop the MCDA, six indicators for each dimension (economic, social, qualitative and environmental) were selected. The analyzed farming systems showed different results based on the stakeholder being considered (scientists, consumers and producers). The OP system showed the best performance when economic, social and environmental dimensions were integrated following the scientist and consumer stakeholders criteria.