ArticleScientific reports2026
Ecological sustainability assessment of agricultural production systems in the Sistan region using emergy footprint analysis.
Article in Scientific reports, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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Abstract
Agricultural production constitutes a primary source of rural income in the Sistan region, with its sustainability contingent upon the ecological resilience of both agricultural systems and their supporting ecosystems. In this study, we employed emergy footprint analysis as a methodological framework to assess the ecological sustainability of diverse cropping systems-including wheat, barley, corn (grain and forage), alfalfa, canola, watermelon, melon, mung bean, lentil, onion, garlic, fennel, cumin, and black seed-using data from the 2021 agricultural year. Input and output data were collected through farmer interviews and meteorological records using a stratified random sampling approach. By converting material and energy flows into solar emjoules (sej), we evaluated key sustainability indicators: emergy biocapacity (EBC), emergy footprint (EFP), ecological surplus/deficit (EED/EES), ecological pressure index (EPI), ecological footprint intensity (EFI), and the ecological-economic coordination index (EECI). These indicators collectively provide a comprehensive assessment of the balance between ecological supply and human demand. Results revealed substantial variability across counties and crop types. Wheat production in Zahak exhibited the highest emergy carrying capacity, while mung bean in Hamoun showed the lowest. Wheat systems in Zahak also demonstrated the largest ecological footprint due to elevated input consumption. Notably, Zahak wheat production showed the greatest ecological surplus, whereas grain corn production in Hirmand was characterized by robust safety margins. Comparative analysis across counties identified garlic production in four counties and wheat in Hirmand as ecologically deficit systems under high pressure, whereas grain corn in Hirmand and green cumin in other counties emerged as more sustainable alternatives. These findings highlight a lack of ecological and economic balance across most examined systems. The emergy footprint framework proves effective for diagnosing sustainability challenges, and we recommend enhanced resource efficiency-particularly through precision nutrient management and location-specific guidelines-to mitigate both ecological and economic costs in these systems.
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