IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/wly/sustdv/v32y2024i5p5611-5626.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Sustainability assessment of the agriculture sector using best worst method: Case study of Baltic states

Author

Listed:
  • Justas Streimikis
  • Ahmad Bathaei
  • Dalia Štreimikienė

Abstract

Sustainable agriculture development holds significant global and regional importance, particularly within the Baltic countries. On a global scale, it is a critical strategy for meeting the escalating demand for food while simultaneously mitigating the adverse environmental and social consequences associated with agricultural practices. In the context of the Baltic nations, where agriculture constitutes a substantial portion of the economy, the adoption of sustainable farming practices is imperative for ensuring the sector's long‐term viability, safeguarding the integrity of the region's distinct ecosystems, and guaranteeing food security for their populations. A comprehensive understanding of the opportunities and challenges facing Baltic agriculture is impeded by a notable research deficiency concerning the intricate and distinct problems facing these nations. The use of indicators to assess economic sustainable agriculture indicators plays a pivotal role in guiding agricultural practices. By taking social and environmental variables into account, these metrics quantify the economic viability of farming. Consequently, these indicators empower policymakers and farmers alike to make well‐informed decisions, striking a balance between profitability and resource conservation, thereby contributing to the enduring sustainability of agriculture in the Baltic countries and beyond. Notably, a comprehensive assessment of economic sustainability in agriculture identified 31 indicators, which were refined to 9 through expert consensus using the Delphi method. Subsequently, the best worst method was applied to rank these indicators. The results indicate that investment intensity, diversification of income, agricultural labor productivity, and market access emerge as the most crucial indicators for ensuring economic sustainability in agriculture.

Suggested Citation

  • Justas Streimikis & Ahmad Bathaei & Dalia Štreimikienė, 2024. "Sustainability assessment of the agriculture sector using best worst method: Case study of Baltic states," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 32(5), pages 5611-5626, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:sustdv:v:32:y:2024:i:5:p:5611-5626
    DOI: 10.1002/sd.2993
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1002/sd.2993
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1002/sd.2993?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Kopper, Sarah A. & Jayne, Thomas S., 2019. "Market access, agro-ecological conditions, and Boserupian agricultural intensification patterns in Kenya: Implications for agricultural programs and research," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 124(C), pages 1-1.
    2. Lucas Bretschger & Karen Pittel, 2020. "Twenty Key Challenges in Environmental and Resource Economics," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 77(4), pages 725-750, December.
    3. Vladimir Trukhachev & Anna Ivolga & Marina Lescheva, 2014. "Enhancement of Land Tenure Relations as a Factor of Sustainable Agricultural Development: Case of Stavropol Krai, Russia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 7(1), pages 1-16, December.
    4. Sorin Gabriel Anton & Anca Elena Afloarei Nucu, 2020. "The Impact of Working Capital Management on Firm Profitability: Empirical Evidence from the Polish Listed Firms," JRFM, MDPI, vol. 14(1), pages 1-14, December.
    5. Rebecca Buttinelli & Raffaele Cortignani & Gabriele Dono, 2021. "Financial sustainability in Italian Organic Farms: An analysis of the FADN Sample," Economia agro-alimentare, FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 23(3), pages 1-32.
    6. Artiom Volkov & Mangirdas Morkunas & Tomas Balezentis & Vaida Šapolaitė, 2020. "Economic and Environmental Performance of the Agricultural Sectors of the Selected EU Countries," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(3), pages 1-17, February.
    7. Dorward, Andrew, 2013. "Agricultural labour productivity, food prices and sustainable development impacts and indicators," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(C), pages 40-50.
    8. Gabriele Dono & Rebecca Buttinelli & Raffaele Cortignani, 2021. "Financial sustainability in Italian farms: an analysis of the FADN sample," Agricultural Finance Review, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 81(5), pages 719-745, February.
    9. Bo Sun & Yongming Luo & Dianlin Yang & Jingsong Yang & Yuguo Zhao & Jiabao Zhang, 2023. "Coordinative Management of Soil Resources and Agricultural Farmland Environment for Food Security and Sustainable Development in China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(4), pages 1-16, February.
    10. Dalia Štreimikienė & Tomas Kačerauskas, 2020. "The creative economy and sustainable development: The Baltic States," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 28(6), pages 1632-1641, November.
    11. Ishwari Singh Bisht & Jai Chand Rana & Sudhir Pal Ahlawat, 2020. "The Future of Smallholder Farming in India: Some Sustainability Considerations," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(9), pages 1-25, May.
    12. Satyasai, K.J.S. & Pereira, Christine, 2019. "Can better market access lead to higher incomes for farmers?," Agricultural Economics Research Review, Agricultural Economics Research Association (India), vol. 32(Conferenc), December.
    13. Tessa Bold & Selene Ghisolfi & Frances Nsonzi & Jakob Svensson, 2022. "Market Access and Quality Upgrading: Evidence from Four Field Experiments," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 112(8), pages 2518-2552, August.
    14. Pexas, Georgios & Mackenzie, Stephen G. & Wallace, Michael & Kyriazakis, Ilias, 2020. "Cost-effectiveness of environmental impact abatement measures in a European pig production system," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 182(C).
    15. Cristina Salvioni & Roberto Henke & Francesco Vanni, 2020. "The Impact of Non-Agricultural Diversification on Financial Performance: Evidence from Family Farms in Italy," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(2), pages 1-14, January.
    16. Ahmad Bathaei & Dalia Štreimikienė, 2023. "A Systematic Review of Agricultural Sustainability Indicators," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 13(2), pages 1-19, January.
    17. Lijing Zhang & Mingyong Hong & Xiaolin Guo & Wenrong Qian, 2022. "How Does Land Rental Affect Agricultural Labor Productivity? An Empirical Study in Rural China," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(5), pages 1-19, April.
    18. Justas Streimikis & Tomas Baležentis, 2020. "Agricultural sustainability assessment framework integrating sustainable development goals and interlinked priorities of environmental, climate and agriculture policies," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 28(6), pages 1702-1712, November.
    19. Mohammad Rondhi & Pravitasari Anjar Pratiwi & Vivi Trisna Handini & Aryo Fajar Sunartomo & Subhan Arif Budiman, 2018. "Agricultural Land Conversion, Land Economic Value, and Sustainable Agriculture: A Case Study in East Java, Indonesia," Land, MDPI, vol. 7(4), pages 1-19, November.
    20. Anna Gaviglio & Mattia Bertocchi & Maria Elena Marescotti & Eugenio Demartini & Alberto Pirani, 2016. "The social pillar of sustainability: a quantitative approach at the farm level," Agricultural and Food Economics, Springer;Italian Society of Agricultural Economics (SIDEA), vol. 4(1), pages 1-19, December.
    21. Jane Mills & Peter Gaskell & Julie Ingram & Janet Dwyer & Matt Reed & Christopher Short, 2017. "Engaging farmers in environmental management through a better understanding of behaviour," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 34(2), pages 283-299, June.
    22. Samantha Hayes & Cheryl Desha & Matthew Burke & Mark Gibbs & Mikhail Chester, 2019. "Leveraging socio-ecological resilience theory to build climate resilience in transport infrastructure," Transport Reviews, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 39(5), pages 677-699, September.
    23. Michael MacLeod & Vera Eory & Guillaume Gruère & Jussi Lankoski, 2015. "Cost-Effectiveness of Greenhouse Gas Mitigation Measures for Agriculture: A Literature Review," OECD Food, Agriculture and Fisheries Papers 89, OECD Publishing.
    24. Jinhong Wan & Ruoxi Li & Wenxin Wang & Zhongmei Liu & Bizhen Chen, 2016. "Income Diversification: A Strategy for Rural Region Risk Management," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(10), pages 1-12, October.
    25. Mirosław Biczkowski & Aleksandra Jezierska-Thöle & Roman Rudnicki, 2021. "The Impact of RDP Measures on the Diversification of Agriculture and Rural Development—Seeking Additional Livelihoods: The Case of Poland," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 11(3), pages 1-26, March.
    26. Umar Ijaz Ahmed & Liu Ying & Muhammad Khalid Bashir & Muhammad Abid & Farhad Zulfiqar, 2017. "Status and determinants of small farming households' food security and role of market access in enhancing food security in rural Pakistan," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 12(10), pages 1-15, October.
    27. Miguel A. Altieri & Clara I. Nicholls & Rene Montalba, 2017. "Technological Approaches to Sustainable Agriculture at a Crossroads: An Agroecological Perspective," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(3), pages 1-13, February.
    28. Lauren Brzozowski & Michael Mazourek, 2018. "A Sustainable Agricultural Future Relies on the Transition to Organic Agroecological Pest Management," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(6), pages 1-25, June.
    29. Ahmad Bathaei & Dalia Štreimikienė, 2023. "Renewable Energy and Sustainable Agriculture: Review of Indicators," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(19), pages 1-24, September.
    30. Dalia Streimikiene & Asta Mikalauskiene, 2023. "Assessment of Agricultural Sustainability: Case Study of Baltic States," Contemporary Economics, University of Economics and Human Sciences in Warsaw., vol. 17(2), June.
    31. Anna Nowak & Armand Kasztelan, 2022. "Economic competitiveness vs. green competitiveness of agriculture in the European Union countries," Oeconomia Copernicana, Institute of Economic Research, vol. 13(2), pages 379-405, June.
    32. Alejandro Nin‐Pratt, 2021. "Agricultural R&D investment intensity: A misleading conventional measure and a new intensity index," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 52(2), pages 317-328, March.
    33. Reidsma, Pytrik & Janssen, Sander & Jansen, Jacques & van Ittersum, Martin K., 2018. "On the development and use of farm models for policy impact assessment in the European Union – A review," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 159(C), pages 111-125.
    34. Vaida Sapolaite & Armands Veveris & Artiom Volkov & Virginia Namiotko, 2019. "Dynamics in the Agricultural Sectors of the Baltic States: the Effects of the Common Agricultural Policy and Challenges for the Future," Montenegrin Journal of Economics, Economic Laboratory for Transition Research (ELIT), vol. 15(4), pages 211-223.
    35. Liu, Jingjing & Zhao, Min & Wang, Yanbo, 2020. "Impacts of government subsidies and environmental regulations on green process innovation: A nonlinear approach," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 63(C).
    36. Di Maio, Francesco & Rem, Peter Carlo & Baldé, Kees & Polder, Michael, 2017. "Measuring resource efficiency and circular economy: A market value approach," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 122(C), pages 163-171.
    37. Alexander Zorn & Michele Esteves & Ivo Baur & Markus Lips, 2018. "Financial Ratios as Indicators of Economic Sustainability: A Quantitative Analysis for Swiss Dairy Farms," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(8), pages 1-20, August.
    38. Buttinelli, Rebecca & Cortignani, Raffaele & Dono , Gabriele, 2021. "Financial sustainability in Italian Organic Farms: An analysis of the FADN Sample," Economia agro-alimentare / Food Economy, Italian Society of Agri-food Economics/Società Italiana di Economia Agro-Alimentare (SIEA), vol. 23(3), December.
    39. Štefan Bojnec & Kristina Knific, 2021. "Farm Household Income Diversification as a Survival Strategy," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(11), pages 1-16, June.
    40. Oliver T. Coomes & Bradford L. Barham & Graham K. MacDonald & Navin Ramankutty & Jean-Paul Chavas, 2019. "Leveraging total factor productivity growth for sustainable and resilient farming," Nature Sustainability, Nature, vol. 2(1), pages 22-28, January.
    41. Baležentis, Tomas & Li, Tianxiang & Chen, Xueli, 2021. "Has agricultural labor restructuring improved agricultural labor productivity in China? A decomposition approach," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 76(C).
    42. Pontus Ambros & Madeleine Granvik, 2020. "Trends in Agricultural Land in EU Countries of the Baltic Sea Region from the Perspective of Resilience and Food Security," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(14), pages 1-25, July.
    43. Artiom Volkov & Agnė Žičkienė & Mangirdas Morkunas & Tomas Baležentis & Erika Ribašauskienė & Dalia Streimikiene, 2021. "A Multi-Criteria Approach for Assessing the Economic Resilience of Agriculture: The Case of Lithuania," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(4), pages 1-16, February.
    44. Kouassi Marius Honoré Aké & Olivier Boiral, 2023. "Sustainable development and stakeholder engagement in the agri‐food sector: Exploring the nexus between biodiversity conservation and information technology," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 31(1), pages 334-348, February.
    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. Ahmad Bathaei & Dalia Štreimikienė, 2023. "A Systematic Review of Agricultural Sustainability Indicators," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 13(2), pages 1-19, January.
    2. Volkov, Artiom & Morkunas, Mangirdas & Balezentis, Tomas & Streimikiene, Dalia, 2022. "Are agricultural sustainability and resilience complementary notions? Evidence from the North European agriculture," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 112(C).
    3. Mattia Iotti & Giuseppe Bonazzi, 2023. "Financial Sustainability in Agri-Food Companies: The Case of Members of the PDO Parma Ham Consortium," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(5), pages 1-31, February.
    4. Štefan Bojnec & Kristina Knific, 2021. "Farm Household Income Diversification as a Survival Strategy," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(11), pages 1-16, June.
    5. Anna Nowak & Monika Różańska‐Boczula, 2024. "A comparative view of the level of agricultural sustainability – The case of European Union member states," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 32(3), pages 2638-2652, June.
    6. Dario Macaluso & Francesco Licciardo & Katya Carbone, 2024. "Farming of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants in Italy: Structural Features and Economic Results," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 14(1), pages 1-20, January.
    7. Agnieszka Kurdyś-Kujawska & Agnieszka Strzelecka & Danuta Zawadzka, 2021. "The Impact of Crop Diversification on the Economic Efficiency of Small Farms in Poland," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 11(3), pages 1-21, March.
    8. Yu Bai & Yuheng Wei & Ruofan Liao & Jianxu Liu, 2025. "The Role of Agricultural Socialized Services in Unlocking Agricultural Productivity in China: A Spatial and Threshold Analysis," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 15(9), pages 1-23, April.
    9. Xufeng Cui & Ting Cai & Wei Deng & Rui Zheng & Yuehua Jiang & Hongjie Bao, 2022. "Indicators for Evaluating High-Quality Agricultural Development: Empirical Study from Yangtze River Economic Belt, China," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 164(3), pages 1101-1127, December.
    10. Meunier, Elliot & Smith, Pauline & Griessinger, Thibaud & Robert, Corinne, 2024. "Understanding changes in reducing pesticide use by farmers: Contribution of the behavioural sciences," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 214(C).
    11. Štefan Bojnec & Sabina Žampa, 2021. "Subsidies and Economic and Financial Performance of Enterprises," JRFM, MDPI, vol. 14(11), pages 1-16, October.
    12. Joanna Wyrwa & Anetta Barska & Janina Jędrzejczak-Gas, 2024. "Sustainable Energy Development and Agriculture in European Union Member States—Territorial Differentiation and Interrelationships," Energies, MDPI, vol. 18(1), pages 1-19, December.
    13. Manal Hamam & Daniela Spina & Roberta Selvaggi & Gabriella Vindigni & Gioacchino Pappalardo & Mario D'Amico & Gaetano Chinnici, 2023. "Financial sustainability in agri-food supply chains: A system approach," Economia agro-alimentare, FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 25(2), pages 135-154.
    14. Herda-Kopańska, Justyna & Kulawik, Jacek, 2022. "Key Problems of Using Subsidies Coupled with Agricultural Production," Problems of Agricultural Economics / Zagadnienia Ekonomiki Rolnej 329857, Institute of Agricultural and Food Economics - National Research Institute (IAFE-NRI).
    15. Dono, Gabriele & Buttinelli, Rebecca & Cortignani, Raffaele, 2022. "Financial performance of connected Agribusiness activities in Italian agriculture," Bio-based and Applied Economics Journal, Italian Association of Agricultural and Applied Economics (AIEAA), vol. 11(2), July.
    16. Nicolae Bobitan & Diana Dumitrescu & Valentin Burca, 2023. "Agriculture’s Efficiency in the Context of Sustainable Agriculture—A Benchmarking Analysis of Financial Performance with Data Envelopment Analysis and Malmquist Index," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(16), pages 1-27, August.
    17. Giuseppe Bonazzi & Paolo Camanzi & Giovanni Ferri & Elisa Manghi & Mattia Iotti, 2021. "Economic Sustainability of Pig Slaughtering Firms in the Production Chain of Denomination of Origin Hams in Italy," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(14), pages 1-18, July.
    18. Gatti, Nicolas & Cecil, Michael & Baylis, Kathy & Estes, Lyndon & Blekking, Jordan & Heckelei, Thomas & Vergopolan, Noemi & Evans, Tom, 2023. "Is closing the agricultural yield gap a “risky” endeavor?," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 208(C).
    19. Ouellet, F. & Mundler, P. & Dupras, J. & Ruiz, J., 2020. "“Community developed and farmer delivered.” An analysis of the spatial and relational proximities of the Alternative Land Use Services program in Ontario," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 95(C).
    20. Lachaud, Michée A. & Bravo-Ureta, Boris E., 2022. "A Bayesian statistical analysis of return to agricultural R&D investment in Latin America: Implications for food security," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 70(C).

    More about this item

    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:wly:sustdv:v:32:y:2024:i:5:p:5611-5626. 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: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1002/(ISSN)1099-1719 .

    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.