Multiple criteria decision making (MCDM) using fuzzy logic: an innovative approach to sustainable agriculture

For a farming system to be considered sustainable, certain economic, environmental, and social criteria need to be met. An approach which integrates measures of achievement in these three areas has been lacking in the past. It is argued that the combination of multiple criteria decision making (MCDM) and fuzzy logic provides a promising theoretical framework for the evaluation of alternative farming systems. Three well-known MCDM methods are described to illustrate a range of problems that may arise using conventional MCDM methods. These problems include: (1) the treatment of noncommensurate units; (2) the ranking procedure for a solution; and, (3) the degree of discrimination between attribute values, and, hence alternatives. The combination of MCDM and fuzzy logic provides a superior methodology which overcomes some of these problems.