Communicating emergy analysis as footprint and emergy profile

Tools highlighting our attention to human impact on nature and humans accelerating depletion of natural resources, such as fossil fuels, are important in making a change towards a more sustainable way of living. Emergy analysis is a scientific and robust method feasible to appraise the degree of sustainability of human systems. In spite of the advantages of the method, a public breakthrough takes place slowly. One reason could be that the results of an emergy analysis are difficult to grasp. This study aims to assess the degree of sustainability of an agricultural system in central Sweden by means of emergy analysis, and explore effective communication of this information. By demonstrating the results of the analysis in the form of a footprint and emergy profile, a better understanding of the outcome may be achieved. The footprint, here called emergy–based footprint, visualizes all resources used in the production system. The emergy profile shows the emergy flows of the most important items in the system. Alternative visualizations of the agricultural system were created in the study, each scenario presented in an emergy-based footprint as well as in an emergy profile. Together, they show the characteristics of the different production systems. This model may serve as an accessible and communicative guide when trying to transform the Swedish agricultural system, as well as agricultural production worldwide in the direction of sustainability. The model is applicable in general system as well