SUSTAINABILITY INDEX OF CAMOTE (Ipomoea batatas Lam.) PRODUCTION: MULTIVARIATIVE ANALYSIS

Abstract

Background. The area under sweet potato cultivation on the Peruvian coast has grown in the last 10 years due to increased market demand; however, its level of sustainability is unknown due to crop intensification. Objective. To determine the level of sustainability of sweet potato production units (SPU), considering economic, environmental and social aspects, applying multivariate analysis techniques and methodological proposals. Methodology. Surveys with structured questions were applied to farmers responsible for managing their SPU. The values of the economic, environmental and social indicators were found according to a methodological proposal of multidimensional analysis. The data were adapted to an ordinal scale from 1 to 5, in which 1 was considered the least sustainable and 5 an ideal level of sustainability. Implications. The value of economic, environmental and social indicators determines the level of sustainability of agricultural production systems. Conclusions. The economic, social and environmental indicators contribute with a General Sustainability Index (GSI) of 2.93; value that places the SPU in a critical condition due to the fact that the value of the environmental indicators fails to exceed the minimum sustainability threshold established in the applied methodology.

Keywords

• agroecosistema, indicador ambiental, ipomoea batatas, monocultivo, sostenibilidad agrícola.