Statistical assessment of health and sustainability indicators of an agroecosystem

Abstract

The health and well-being of individuals within agricultural communities depends on a number of biophysical, economic and social factors, all of which are highly interconnected, making simple disciplinary approaches insufficient in stililulatillg sustainable improvements. These linkages are particularly important in communities ill developing countries, where the majority of people rely on agriculture for their livelihoods, and where the sharing of key natural resources is an important attribute of the . production systems. Increasing population pressure and a desire for improved standard of living are increasing demands to intensify agricultural production and make it more efficient. The changes resulting from these pressures are placing the sustainability or agriculture, natural resources and community structures under threat. In many areas, natural resources are disappearing and/or are being polluted at <IIIalarming rate, alitI community infrastructure and organizations are stressed and not able to adequately IIIL:et peoples' basic needs. Different groups have been developing'und testing ecosystem (or ugro-ccosystcm ill the case of agricultural communities) health approaches to research and development. Three main components of agro-ecosystem health approach are describing the system, defining a set of goals and monitoring the attainment of these goals using a suite or indicators. The concept of health, when applied to various units within tile agio-ecosystem hierarchy, will make issues of ecosystem sustainability, stress, risk, tential and dysfunction more widely understood and applied. This project is there/ore concerned with unalyziug heath and sustuiuahility indicators from a highly populated agro-ecosystem in Kenya (Kiambu district), and recommending those indicators that should be retained 10 be used ill asscssiug the sustainability of this agro-ccosystem .