The scientific community is questioned on the methods and tools that can be used to meet increasing demand for the evaluation of the sustainability of farming. The construction of specific indicators capable of characterising sustainability in agriculture is an interesting response if they are pedagogical and can easily be used by the farmers themselves to guide them in a process of self-assessment. The IDEA method (Indicateurs de Durabilité des Exploitations Agricoles - Farm Sustainability Indicators - France) is presented first to illustrate the scientific approach adopted to translate the concept of farm sustainability into a system of sustainability indicators. This method, conceived as a self-assessment grid, is constructed around 41 indicators covering the three dimensions of sustainability in agriculture (agroecological, socio-territorial and economic). Then, the sensitivity of the method is presented on the basis of some results from French farms and the question of the validation of the indicators is also discussed. Finally, the work underway or still to come is mentioned, as it represents real prospects within the framework of European research.