Whole-farm planning and analysis

Whole-farm planning and agroecosystem analysis will require a combination of tools and approaches. This chapter examines several tools and approaches to whole-farm planning and analysis, some of which fall within the definition of ecosystem analysis. Whole-farm planning and agroecosystem analysis will require a combination of tools and approaches. From the farmer’s perspective, useful tools include maps, record sheets, financial records, and other ways to track production, costs, and returns. In addition, tools that allow a farmer to track resource use (such as water meters on irrigation pumps) and resource (soil and water) quality will be useful. In the review of whole-farm planning tools, the only tools that seemed to be more common than nutrient budgeting tools were economic planning tools. The chapter explains the relationship between economic analysis and agroecosystem analysis. Early whole-farm planning models can be found in the international agricultural development literature.