Evaluating Agri-Environmental Indicators for Land Use Impact in Baltic Countries Using Multi-Criteria Decision-Making and Eurostat Data

Dalia Štreimikienė (), Ahmad Bathaei () and Justas Streimikis
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Dalia Štreimikienė: Lithuanian Centre for Social Sciences, Institute of Economics and Rural Development, 03220 Vilnius, Lithuania
Ahmad Bathaei: Lithuanian Centre for Social Sciences, Institute of Economics and Rural Development, 03220 Vilnius, Lithuania
Justas Streimikis: Lithuanian Centre for Social Sciences, Institute of Economics and Rural Development, 03220 Vilnius, Lithuania

Land, 2024, vol. 13, issue 12, 1-19

Abstract: The present research assesses the agri-environmental sustainability of the Baltic states, namely Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia, while analyzing agricultural biodiversity, greenhouse gas emissions, land utilization, energy use, and water management. For the purpose of these evaluations and ranking, we employ the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS), applied to a set of agri-environmental indicators (AES) collected from various sources, including Eurostat and similar databases. This knowledge is necessary to help policymakers or agricultural managers who are interested in developing more sustainable agriculture in the region. That is why, according to the findings, the highest AES value is attributed to Latvia, followed by Lithuania and Estonia. Conservation methods that were essential included High-Nature-Value farmland, bird populations in agricultural habitats, organic farming, and water. It emphasizes the use of Multi-Criteria Decision Making tools for combining both qualitative and quantitative data and form the general framework for sustainability assessment. Another goal of this research is to fill the gap in the literature regarding the lack of attention paid to agri-environmental sustainability in the Baltic area in general. This, therefore, suggests that assessing the strengths or weaknesses of these nation-states provides critical information that can inform the change of land management practices, nutrition practices in agriculture, and the ability of the natural world to adapt. The findings will be useful to governmental leaders and individuals involved in agriculture who need to find a balance between economic growth and conservation, as well as scholars working to improve the international measures for agri-environmental assessment.

Keywords: agri-environmental sustainability; Baltic countries; multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM); TOPSIS; land use indicators (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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