These results demonstrate that it is possible to improve the sustainability of family farms within the limitations imposed by their current resource endowment and socio-economic context. Key system changes included decreasing the area of vegetable crops, introducing long crop rotations with pastures, cover crops and animal manure applications, and integrating beef-cattle production to add value to pastures. To be successful any change strategy should be adapted to the par- ticular situation of a farm. Such adaptation can be achieved by a systemic process of characterization, diagnosis, redesign, implementation and evaluation planned as a learning process with the farmers and technical advisers as main participants.