Agricultural sustainability in Assam-An economic analysis

Sustainable agriculture integrates three main goals-environmental health, economic profitability, and social and economic equity which is very important for state like Assam where crop production is done under different environmental and economical stresses. The present study attempts to estimate agricultural sustainability for different districts of Assam with the help of an index namely Sustainable Livelihood Security Index (SLSI).The three indices, Ecological Security Index (ESI), Economic Efficiency Index (EEI) and Social Equity Index (SEI) were the prime components of this SLSI. The study revealed out wide variations in the agricultural systems of all the districts in Assam in regards of their ecological, economic efficiency and social equity aspects. Districts with the SLSI value of 0.40 and above were considered as advanced districts and others were as backward districts. It was seen, 56 per cent of all districts of Assam had an index of SLSI above 0.5, while only one district Dhubri was found as having SLSI value less than 0.40. This study is likely to influence researchers, policymakers and many others for the successful management of natural resources, biodiversity, food and nutritional security, ecosystem balance and other challenges on the way of supporting sustainable agricultural development in the state Assam.