Sustainability indicators for Swiss dairy farms and the general implications for business/government interdependencies

This article explores the relevance of sustainable business development for society and the state. Sustainability of enterprises can be defined as demonstrating the ability to be capable of continuing the same type of business in the lifetime of the next generation. In the case of Swiss dairy farms, this type of sustainability may also depend on the willingness of the government and society to make the necessary financial adjustments. Sustainability indicators for such farms are, therefore, related to ecological and social benefits rather than simply to economic success. To evaluate the role of Swiss dairy farms, a system with economic, ecological and social indicators for measuring their sustainability would be valuable. This approach creates an integration of sustainability life-cycle assessment factors of enterprises, on the one hand, and purely economic business indicators, on the other. The approach developed in this article would be of interest to all sectors that depend on public support.