IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v17y2025i18p8277-d1749674.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

A Multi-Expert FQFD and TRIZ Framework for Prioritizing Multi-Capital Sustainability KPIs: A Smallholder Case Study

Author

Listed:
  • Asma Fekih

    (Energy Applications and Renewable Energy Efficiency Laboratory (LAPER), Faculty of Sciences of Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, Tunis 1068, Tunisia)

  • Safa Chabouh

    (Analysis, Conception and Control of Systems Laboratory (LR11ES20), National Engineering School of Tunis, Tunis El Manar University, Campus Farhat Hached, Tunis 1002, Tunisia)

  • Lilia Sidhom

    (Energy Applications and Renewable Energy Efficiency Laboratory (LAPER), Faculty of Sciences of Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, Tunis 1068, Tunisia)

  • Alaeddine Zouari

    (Optimization, Logistics and Decision Support Systems Laboratory (OLID), Higher Institute of Industrial Management, University of Sfax, Techno-Park of Sfax, Road of Tunis Km 10.5, Sfax 3021-BP 1164, Tunisia)

  • Abdelkader Mami

    (Energy Applications and Renewable Energy Efficiency Laboratory (LAPER), Faculty of Sciences of Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, Tunis 1068, Tunisia)

Abstract

Smallholder farmers, key actors in agri-food supply chains, still face persistent challenges in applying sustainability strategies due to limited resources, context variability, and weak-performance monitoring systems. Their multidimensional needs, across economic, environmental, and social domains, are frequently inadequately captured by traditional key performance indicators (KPIs). This paper proposes an innovative framework to prioritize KPIs tailored to smallholders by integrating a multi-capital approach with expert-based and contradiction-resolving methods. A five-phase methodology is developed that combines Multi-Expert Fuzzy Quality Function Deployment (FQFD) and the Theory of Inventive Problem Solving (TRIZ). Expert input and field data identified 30 KPIs, narrowed to 19 via a capital-constrained algorithm; TRIZ resolved key contradictions like global warming versus land use efficiency. Expert input and field data are used to identify the sustainability capitals and KPIs, which are then ranked using FQFD and filtered using a capital-constrained algorithm. TRIZ is then used to address contradictions between indicators. Applied to a case study, the framework successfully identified a ranked, coherent set of sustainability KPIs. The sensitivity analysis confirmed the stability of the prioritization. TRIZ offered innovative solutions to trade-offs between key indicators (such as environmental impact versus productivity). This is the first known integration of FQFD and TRIZ in sustainability KPIs for smallholders. This approach is adaptable and replicable within similar agricultural contexts, thereby allowing informed and context-sensitive planning for sustainability. It provides actionable insights to guide smallholder-focused agricultural policies globally.

Suggested Citation

  • Asma Fekih & Safa Chabouh & Lilia Sidhom & Alaeddine Zouari & Abdelkader Mami, 2025. "A Multi-Expert FQFD and TRIZ Framework for Prioritizing Multi-Capital Sustainability KPIs: A Smallholder Case Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(18), pages 1-31, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:18:p:8277-:d:1749674
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/18/8277/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/18/8277/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Thomas L. Saaty, 1990. "An Exposition of the AHP in Reply to the Paper "Remarks on the Analytic Hierarchy Process"," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 36(3), pages 259-268, March.
    2. Chaima Ben Abdallah & Adnen El-Amraoui & François Delmotte & Ahmed Frikha, 2024. "A Hybrid Approach for Sustainable and Resilient Farmer Selection in Food Industry: Tunisian Case Study," Post-Print hal-04504792, HAL.
    3. Ness, Barry & Urbel-Piirsalu, Evelin & Anderberg, Stefan & Olsson, Lennart, 2007. "Categorising tools for sustainability assessment," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 60(3), pages 498-508, January.
    4. Bottani, Eleonora, 2009. "A fuzzy QFD approach to achieve agility," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 119(2), pages 380-391, June.
    5. Costanza, Robert & de Groot, Rudolf & Braat, Leon & Kubiszewski, Ida & Fioramonti, Lorenzo & Sutton, Paul & Farber, Steve & Grasso, Monica, 2017. "Twenty years of ecosystem services: How far have we come and how far do we still need to go?," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 28(PA), pages 1-16.
    6. Ahmad Bathaei & Dalia Štreimikienė, 2023. "A Systematic Review of Agricultural Sustainability Indicators," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 13(2), pages 1-19, January.
    7. Zhenfeng Liu & Jian Feng & Jinfeng Wang, 2020. "Resource-Constrained Innovation Method for Sustainability: Application of Morphological Analysis and TRIZ Inventive Principles," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(3), pages 1-23, January.
    8. Lowder, Sarah K. & Sánchez, Marco V. & Bertini, Raffaele, 2021. "Which farms feed the world and has farmland become more concentrated?," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 142(C).
    9. Chaima Ben Abdallah & Adnen El-Amraoui & François Delmotte & Ahmed Frikha, 2024. "A Hybrid Approach for Sustainable and Resilient Farmer Selection in Food Industry: Tunisian Case Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(5), pages 1-30, February.
    10. Neda Ahmadizadeh-Tourzani & Abbas Keramati & Arash Apornak, 2018. "Supplier selection model using QFD-ANP methodology under fuzzy multi-criteria environment," International Journal of Productivity and Quality Management, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 24(1), pages 59-83.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Aryal, Kishor & Maraseni, Tek & Apan, Armando, 2023. "Examining policy−institution−program (PIP) responses against the drivers of ecosystem dynamics. A chronological review (1960–2020) from Nepal," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 132(C).
    2. Rubio Rodríguez, M.A. & Ruyck, J. De & Díaz, P. Roque & Verma, V.K. & Bram, S., 2011. "An LCA based indicator for evaluation of alternative energy routes," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 88(3), pages 630-635, March.
    3. Busch, Christin & Specht, Kathrin & Inostroza, Luis & Falke, Matthias & Zepp, Harald, 2024. "Disentangling cultural ecosystem services co-production in urban green spaces through social media reviews," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 70(C).
    4. Caviedes, Julián & Ibarra, José Tomás & Calvet-Mir, Laura & Álvarez-Fernández, Santiago & Junqueira, André Braga, 2024. "Indigenous and local knowledge on social-ecological changes is positively associated with livelihood resilience in a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 216(C).
    5. Figge, Frank & Hahn, Tobias & Barkemeyer, Ralf, 2014. "The If, How and Where of assessing sustainable resource use," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 105(C), pages 274-283.
    6. L. Hay & A. H. B. Duffy & R. I. Whitfield, 2017. "The S‐Cycle Performance Matrix: Supporting Comprehensive Sustainability Performance Evaluation of Technical Systems," Systems Engineering, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 20(1), pages 45-70, January.
    7. Ayla Amamou & Safa Chabouh & Lilia Sidhom & Alaeddine Zouari & Abdelkader Mami, 2025. "Agri-Food Supply Chain Sustainability Indicators from a Multi-Capital Perspective: A Systematic Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(9), pages 1-34, May.
    8. Shuzhen Song & Xingyan Chen & Yuehua Song & Yongkuan Chi, 2024. "Vegetation Restoration Patterns Influence the Supply and Interrelations of Grassland Ecosystem Services in Karst Desertification Control," Land, MDPI, vol. 13(12), pages 1-16, November.
    9. van der Hoff, Richard & Nascimento, Nathália & Fabrício-Neto, Ailton & Jaramillo-Giraldo, Carolina & Ambrosio, Geanderson & Arieira, Julia & Afonso Nobre, Carlos & Rajão, Raoni, 2022. "Policy-oriented ecosystem services research on tropical forests in South America: A systematic literature review," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 56(C).
    10. Joel C. Creed & Laura Sol Aranda & Júlia Gomes de Sousa & Caio Barros Brito do Bem & Beatriz Sant’Anna Vasconcelos Marafiga Dutra & Marianna Lanari & Virgínia Eduarda de Sousa & Karine M. Magalhães & , 2023. "A Synthesis of Provision and Impact in Seagrass Ecosystem Services in the Brazilian Southwest Atlantic," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(20), pages 1-19, October.
    11. Mostafa Shaaban & Jürgen Scheffran & Jürgen Böhner & Mohamed S. Elsobki, 2018. "Sustainability Assessment of Electricity Generation Technologies in Egypt Using Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis," Energies, MDPI, vol. 11(5), pages 1-25, May.
    12. Ngoc-Ninh Ho & Truong Lam Do & Dinh-Thao Tran & Trung Thanh Nguyen, 2022. "Indigenous pig production and welfare of ultra-poor ethnic minority households in the Northern mountains of Vietnam," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 24(1), pages 156-179, January.
    13. Madjid Tavana & Mariya Sodenkamp & Leena Suhl, 2010. "A soft multi-criteria decision analysis model with application to the European Union enlargement," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 181(1), pages 393-421, December.
    14. Nicolás Ruiz, Néstor & Suárez Alonso, María Luisa & Vidal-Abarca, María Rosario, 2021. "Contributions of dry rivers to human well-being: A global review for future research," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 50(C).
    15. Schilling, Markus & Chiang, Lichun, 2011. "The effect of natural resources on a sustainable development policy: The approach of non-sustainable externalities," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(2), pages 990-998, February.
    16. Xiaoyu Li & Shudan Gong & Qingdong Shi & Yuan Fang, 2023. "A Review of Ecosystem Services Based on Bibliometric Analysis: Progress, Challenges, and Future Directions," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(23), pages 1-18, November.
    17. Abdelmonaim Okacha & Adil Salhi & Kamal Abdelrahman & Hamid Fattasse & Kamal Lahrichi & Kaoutar Bakhouya & Biraj Kanti Mondal, 2024. "Balancing Environmental and Human Needs: Geographic Information System-Based Analytical Hierarchy Process Land Suitability Planning for Emerging Urban Areas in Bni Bouayach Amid Urban Transformation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(15), pages 1-24, July.
    18. Alexandra Doernberg & Annette Piorr & Ingo Zasada & Dirk Wascher & Ulrich Schmutz, 2022. "Sustainability assessment of short food supply chains (SFSC): developing and testing a rapid assessment tool in one African and three European city regions," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 39(3), pages 885-904, September.
    19. Oriana Gava & Fabio Bartolini & Francesca Venturi & Gianluca Brunori & Angela Zinnai & Alberto Pardossi, 2018. "A Reflection of the Use of the Life Cycle Assessment Tool for Agri-Food Sustainability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(1), pages 1-16, December.
    20. Lee, Heeseok & Shi, Yong & Nazem, Sufi M. & Yeol Kang, Sung & Ho Park, Tae & Ho Sohn, Myung, 2001. "Multicriteria hub decision making for rural area telecommunication networks," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 133(3), pages 483-495, September.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:18:p:8277-:d:1749674. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.