From Sustainable Development to Management of Sustainable Ecosocial Systems

The essay briefly refers to the etymology of ’sustainability’ and to its current use in the development of nations, agriculture and ecology. In absence of a singular consensual definition, we are advised to try as best we can to make use of the concept in development efforts. In agriculture, sustainable agroecosystems are designed and implemented to overcome the limitations of the industrialized agriculture with respect to the resource base. In ecosocial system study and management, ‘sustainability’ characterizes the state of the system. The concepts of ecological, economic and social sustainability as well as capitals, health, integrity and resilience appear to allow different but complementary assessments from different perspectives. Ecological, economic and social sustainability are used to study the response of an African agropastoral system to livestock health improvement. Economic and social sustainability appear to increase, but the progress is not sustained by the changes in ecological sustainability. To improve their livelihood, the agropastoralists are advised to implement rules for the prevention of overgrazing and undertake reproductive health measures in an effort to navigate, in a balanced way, the ecosocial system in ecological, economic and social dimensions.