Geography and Human Relationships

Geography and Human Relationships

Assessing the effects of date conversion and complementary industries on rural areas of Khuzestan province using multi-criteria decision making methods

Document Type : Original Article

Author
ra
10.22034/gahr.2025.495554.2336
Abstract
In this regard, conversion industries by using agricultural products as raw materials can be considered a factor for rural development and better use of these products. Many agricultural products have different production and consumption times. They are usually produced or harvested in a short time, but consumed in a longer time. By converting products, conversion industries can change and transform them so that they can be consumed throughout the year. In this regard, this study was conducted with the general aim of identifying and prioritizing the effects of date conversion and complementary industries on rural areas of Khuzestan province based on the views of experts using multi-criteria decision making methods. The statistical population of the study was subject-aware experts, which included experts in palm growing cooperatives, complementary conversion industries, agricultural jihad, and the Research Institute of Dates and Tropical Fruits. In order to study the effects of date conversion and complementary industries, 35 works were identified in the form of five main axes (economic, social, environmental, psychological and agricultural barriers) based on four criteria of reducing inequality and spatial justice, rural development, agricultural development and livelihood sustainability. Criteria weighting was performed based on hierarchical analysis and obstacle prioritization based on TOPSIS and SAW methods. The results showed that in most cases, the results of the two methods were similar. The results of the general evaluation of the studied options based on the two methods of TOPSIS and SAW showed that in the TOPSIS method, the most important effects are economic, social, agricultural, psychological and environmental, respectively. But in SAW method, the effects include economic, social, agricultural, environmental and psychological, respectively.
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Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 20 January 2025

  • Receive Date 23 December 2024
  • Accept Date 20 January 2025