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IDEA4 is a method for assessing and analyzing farm sustainability. Its theoretical framework combines a dual approach based on the three dimensions of sustainability - agroecological, socio-territorial, economic - and the five properties of sustainable agricultural systems: productive and reproductive capacity of goods and services, autonomy, robustness, territorial anchorage, global responsibility. This dual reading of sustainability is a major innovation in the international panorama of indicator-based methods for assessing sustainability. The IDEA4 method is an operational tool that can be directly applied to the main agricultural production systems in mainland France and Europe in general. IDEA4 can also be used as a theoretical support and evaluation tool for other agricultural systems around the world, subject to a few adjustments. Its fifty-three indicators are calculated and aggregated in a transparent and scientifically justified way. It can be implemented over a reasonable timescale, thanks to operational support for data processing and results production (explanatory sheets, survey guide, calculator, WEB-IDEA platform, etc.). The IDEA4 method can be used to identify paths of progress towards greater sustainability in individual or collective agro-ecological transition initiatives. It is already widely used in agricultural and higher education, in consulting and support activities for agro-ecological transition, in public action to implement and monitor programs, and in research.

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