Using multi-criteria decision analysis for assessing sustainability of agricultural systems

Composite indicators for six key categories of agricultural sustainability are utilized within a Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) structure to assess and compare the sustainability of different agricultural systems. Individual indicators - productivity, stability, efficiency, durability, compatibility and equity - were used to develop composite indicators. In this research, the major steps used to obtain the aggregated indicators and assess sustainability are: define sustainability; recognize sustainability issues; identify indicators; categorize sustainability; measure indicator values to develop composite indicators; give weighting to the categories of sustainability; aggregate composite indicators; and compare the sustainability of different agricultural systems. Using composite indicators, an MCDA structure is employed to evaluate and rank the agricultural systems of southwest coastal Bangladesh in terms of the level of agricultural sustainability of each one. The case study demonstrates that this MCDA approach has the potential to become a useful framework for agricultural sustainability assessment.