This study aims to identify the variables measuring the sustainable development in agriculture, its antecedents, barriers and consequences, confirming its factors and testing the relations between them. Having in mind these aims, the research was conducted through three phases. In phase 1, qualitative research was adopted, holding 23 semi-structured interviews with family farmers. Phase 2 and 3 used quantitative research with, respectively, 220 and 219 family farmers. In phase 1, it was possible to verify that sustainable development in agriculture, its antecedents, barriers and consequences. In phase 2, the factors were identified as follows: perception of the sustainable development in agriculture (natural agriculture; innovation and technology; environmental aspects), antecedents (external influences; engagement with sustainability; concern about future generations; environmental motivators; and individual characteristics), barriers (lack of information and knowledge; lack of planning and support), and consequences (socio-environmental benefits; subjective well-being). The results of the structural model demonstrate that the predictors external influences and engagement with sustainability influenced the family farmers’ perception of what sustainable development in agriculture is. The barriers construct (lack of information and knowledge; lack of planning and support) moderate the relationship between external influences and how sustainable development in agriculture is perceived. The constructs of social benefits and feeling of subjective well-being were perceived as consequences of sustainable development in agriculture. This research can be considered innovative by using mixed research methods, in an integrated way, proposing and testing a theoretical model about sustainable development in a family farm context.

本研究旨在确定衡量农业可持续发展的变量、其前因、障碍和后果，确认其因素并测试它们之间的关系。考虑到这些目标，研究分三个阶段进行。在第一阶段，采用定性研究，对家庭农民进行了 23 次半结构化访谈。第 2 和第 3 阶段分别对 220 和 219 名家庭农民进行了定量研究。在第一阶段，可以验证农业的可持续发展、其前因、障碍和后果。在第 2 阶段，确定的因素如下：对农业可持续发展的看法（自然农业；创新和技术；环境方面）、前因（外部影响；参与可持续性；关心后代；环境激励因素；和个人特征）、障碍（缺乏信息和知识；缺乏规划和支持）和后果（社会环境效益；主观幸福感）。结构模型的结果表明，预测因素的外部影响和可持续性的参与影响了家庭农民对农业可持续发展的看法。障碍结构（缺乏信息和知识；缺乏规划和支持）缓和了外部影响与人们如何看待农业可持续发展之间的关系。社会福利的构建和主观幸福感被视为农业可持续发展的结果。