Prioritizing the Effective Criteria for the Sustainability of Agro-Ecosystems in the West Azerbaijan Province by Using of Delphi Fuzzy Technique

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

Abstract

       Considering the importance of food security for the country growing population and the need for sustainability of agro-ecosystems, this study aimed to prioritizing the effective ecological, social and economic criteria for the sustainability of agro-ecosystems in the West Azerbaijan Province. Ecological, social and economic criteria were investigated 6, 7 and 5 sub-criteria. Data and information required in this study were collected using a group of professors, researchers and agricultural expert opinions and questionnaires in 2018. The criteria and sub-criteria were ranked by using of Delphi Fuzzy technique. The results showed that water resources limitation (W= 0.22) and lake of scientific knowledge (W= 0.25) were the most important sub-criteria respectively in ecological and social criteria. Among the ecological, economic and social criteria, economic criterion had the most effect on reducing the sustainability of agricultural production in the province and high production cost and low income of farmers were the most important (W= 0.27). Therefore, the problem of sustainable production in this province is the water resources limitation and consequently, low income of farmers and lake of scientific knowledge, so it seems appropriate to provide suitable cultivation patterns, use of modern irrigation systems, fallow for water storage, considering research budgets, increasing the educational and training classes for farmers can be useful.
 

Keywords


Abedi T and Ganji M, 2016. Investigation of factor influencing in river gravel extraction problems using Fuzzy Delphi method. Journal of Natural Environment (Iranian Journal of Natural Resources), 69(4): 1041-1059. (In Persian).
Aghai B and Farajollah Hoseini SJ, 2015. The role of low input sustainable agriculture in rural development. Agriculture and Natural Resources Engineering Disciplinary Organization, 48: 28-32. (In Persian).
Akbari A, Moradi A and Akrami Mohajeri M, 2017. Sustainability of pistachio production in rural areas of Rafsanjan. Space Economy and Rural Development, 20(6): 1-16. (In Persian).
Ananda J and Herath G, 2008. Multi-attribute preference modeling and regional land-use planning. Ecological Economics, 65(2): 325-335.
Barnes AP, 2002. Publicly-funded UK agricultural R&D and ‘social’ total factor productivity. Agricultural Economics, 27(1): 65-74.
Cavalli-Sforza V and Ortolano L, 1984. Delphi forecasts of land-use-transportation interactions. Journal of Transportation Engineering, 110(3): 324-339.
Cerutti AK, Bruun S, Donno D and Beccaro GL, 2013. Environmental sustainability of traditional foods: the case of ancient apple cultivars in Northern Italy assessed by multifunctional LCA. Journal of Cleaner Production, 52: 245-252.
Craft Kortney E, Rezaul Mahmood S and King A, 2013. Drought and corn in Kentucky, Applied Geography, 45: 353-362.
Cunningham SA, Attwood SJ, Bawa KS, Benton TG, Broadhurst LM, Didham RK, McIntyre S, Perfecto I, Samways MJ, Tscharntke T, Vandermeer J, Villard MA, Young AG and Lindenmayer DB, 2013. To close the yield-gap while saving biodiversity will require multiple locally relevant strategies. Agricultural Ecosystem and Environment, 173:20-27.
Dadashian Saray M, Dashti Gh, Hayati B Ghahremanzadeh M. 2015. The Combined use of AHP and TOPSIS technique for determining the weighted criteria and evaluation of agricultural sustainability (Case Study: selected counties of East Azarbaijan province). Journal of Agricultural Science and Sustainable Production, 25(1): 145-157. (In Persian)
Dantsis T, Douma C, Giourga C and Loumou A, 2010. A methodological approach to assess and compare
the sustainability level of agricultural plant production systems. Ecological Indicators, 10(2): 256-263.
De Buck AJ, Rijn IV, Roling NG and Wossink AA, 2001. Farmer’s reasons for changing or not changing to more sustainable practices: an exploratory study of arable farmers in the Netherlands. The Journal for Agricultural Extension and Education, 7(3): 153- 166.
Ertugrul I and Tus A, 2007. Interactive fuzzy linear programming and an application sample at a textile firm. Fuzzy Optimization and Decision Making, 6: 29-49.
FAO, 2018.World Food and AgricultureStatistical Pocketbook. Rome, 254 pp. Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO.
Foley JA, Ramankutty N, Brauman KA, Cassidy ES, Gerber JS, Johnston M, Mueller ND, O'Connell C, Ray DK, West PC, Balzer C, Bennett EM, Carpenter SR, Hill J, Monfreda C, Polasky S, Rockstrom J, Sheehan J, Siebert S, Tilman D and Zaks DPM, 2011. Solutions for a cultivated planet. Nature, 478:337-342.
Ghafari A, Montazeri A and Rahimi M, 2009. Determination of Optimum Crop Pattern for Varamin irrigation network by AHP. 12th Conference of National Irrigation and Drainage Committee, Tehran, Iran.(In Persian).
Häder M and Häder S, 1995. Delphi und Kognitions psychologie: Ein Zugang zur. Theoretischen Fundierung der Delphi- Methode. ZUMA Nachrichten, 37(19).
Haghighi B, Borumand S and Naseri A, 2015. Effect of different deficit irrigation managements in furrow and tape drip methods on potato yield and eatwr productivity. Journal of Water Research in Agriculture, 29(2): 181-193. (In Persian).
Jordan CF, 2004. Organic farming agroforestry: Alley cropping for mulch production for organic farms of southeastern United State. Agroforestry System, 61-62 (1-3): 79-90.
Karami E, Mansoorabadi A, 2008. Sustainable agricultural attitudes and behaviors: a gender analysis of Iranian farmers. Journal of Environment, Development and Sustainability, 10: 883-898. (In Persian).
Keeney S, Hasson F and McKenna HP, 2001. A critical review of the Delphi technique as a research methodology for nursing. Internatinal Journal of Nursing Study, 38(2): 195-200.
Liu F and Zhang H, 2013. Novel methods to assess environmental, economic, and social sustainability of main agricultural regions in China. Agronomy for Sustainable Development, 1-13.
Lobell DB, Cassman KG and Field CB, 2009. Crop yield gaps: their importance, magnitudes, and causes. Annual Review of Environment and Resources. 34:179-204.
Loukas A, Vasiliade L and Dalezios NR, 2003. Intercomparison of meteorological drought indices for drought assessment and monitoring in Greece. 8th International conference on Environmental science and Technology Lemnos Island, 8-10 September: 484-491.
Mullen P, 2003. Delphi: myths and reality. Journal of Health Organisation and Management, 17(1): 37-52.
Okoli C and Pawlowski S, 2004. The Delphi method as a research tool: an example, design considerations and applications. Information & Management, 42(1): 15-29.
Pala M, Ryan J, Mazid A and Abdallah O, 2004. Wheat farming in Syria: an approach to economic transformation and sustainability. Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems, 19(1): 30-34.
Panahi F, Malekmohammadi I and Chizari M, 2013. The barriers to optimal management of water resources in Iran's agricultural system. Roosta va Towse' e, 15(4): 23-41. (In Persian).
Pourzand F and Bakhshodeh M, 2012. Evaluating agricultural sustainability of Fars province: application of compromise programming approach. Journal of Agricultural Economics Research, 4 (13): 1-26. (In Persian).
Salazar RC, 2005. Social and institutional opportunities and constraints of organic agriculture in the Philippines, Stuttgat-Hohenheim, October 11-13.
Sharafi L and Zarafshani K, 2011. Economic and social vulnerability assessment among farmers towards drought (Case of study: wheat farmers Kermanshah, Sahne, and Ravansar townships. Journal of Rural Research, 1(4): 129-154. (In Persian).
Sharifi M, Akram A, Rafiee Sh and Sabzeh-parvar M, 2014. Prioritization of strategic cropping of strategic products of Alborz province using the Delphi Phase and AHP. Agricultural Machines, 4(1): 116 124. (In Persian).
Soltani A, Hajjarpoor A and Vadez V, 2016. Analysis of chickpea yield gap and water-limited potential yield in Iran. Field Crops and Research, 185:21 -30.
Sterrett S, Groover GE, Taylor DB and Mundy K, 2005. Describing organic agriculture production in Virginia results of the 2004 farm survey Virginia,s rural economic analysis program, Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Virginia Tech.
Taghdisi A and Bosshag MR, 2012. Analysis and evaluation of agriculture sustainability in rural regions and study of farmers role case study: village regions of Azna Township. Geography, 10(33): 129-147. (In Persian).
Taherabadi, F, 2013. Comparing Pressurized and Surface Irrigation Systems on the Irrigated Wheat Production to Access Sustainable Development in Kermanshah Province. Ms Thesis. Zanjan University, 68 p. (In Persian).
Van Ittersum MK, Cassman KG, Grassini P, Wolf J, Tittonell P and Hochman Z, 2013. Yield gap analysis with local to global relevance. A review. Field Crop and Research, 143:4-17.
Varma S and Namara RE, 2006. Promoting micro irrigation technologies that reduce poverty, Water Policy Briefing, Vol: 23, IWMI, Comobo University, Sri Lanka.
Vasquez-Leon M, West C and Finan T, 2003. A comparative assessment of climate vulnerability: agriculture and ranching on both sides of US-Mexico border. Global Environmental Change, 13: 159-173.
Wang N, Jassogne L, Van Asten PJA, Mukasa D, Wanyama I, Kagezi G and Giller KE, 2015. Evaluating coffee yield gaps and important biotic, abiotic, and management factors limiting coffee production in Uganda. European Journal of Agronomy, 63:1-11.
Yazdani S and Haghsheno M, 2008. Drought management and recommended solutions on how to deal with drought. Journal of Agriculture and Environment Science, 2: 64-68.
Zamani A, Ghaderzadeh H and Mortazavi A, 2013. Cropping pattern system respect to sustainable agriculture and optimum use of energy a case of saqez county of Kurdistan province. Agriculture Science and Sustainable Production, 24(1): 31-43. (In Persian).
Zamani O, Mortazavi A and Balali H, 2015. Economical water productivity of agricultural products in Bahar pain, Hamadan. Journal of Water Research in Agriculture, 28(1): 51-62.
Zand Basiri M, 2014. Multi criteria decision making and its place in natural resources management. Shapourkhast Publication, 231 p. (In Persian).