Sustainability analysis of the greenhouse tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) production system

The sustainability of the tomato production system in greenhouses in the municipal area of Texcoco, Mexico, was evaluated using a cluster analysis for the classification of farmers and the framework for the evaluation of management systems for natural resources, incorporating sustainability indicators to evaluate sustainability. The results showed three groups of farmers considering the technology used in production: low technology level (LTL), medium technology level (MTL), and high. They differed in fruit yield (230.19 tons ha^-1 year^-1 on average), cost-benefit rate (1.31 on average), organization, water management, and greenhouse surface and equipment. Productivity was the attribute that affected sustainability the most since yield is a complex variable due to the conjunction of natural, human, and financial resources that affect the environmental, social, and technological dimensions. Fruit yield was slightly higher than the reference value (180.32 tons ha^-1 year^-1) at 53.53%, 18.44% and 1.8% in the high, medium, and low technological level clusters, respectively, whereas net income and the cost-benefit rate had lower values than the reference (1034326 MEX$ and 1.62, respectively) for the LTL and MTL clusters. The information obtained helps generate a baseline and strategies to improve the sustainability of the system.