Evaluating the performance of organic crop, livestock, and beekeeping in the Provinces of Türkiye using the TOPSIS method

Abstract

In recent times, concerns regarding crop and livestock have gained a new dimension as people are becoming increasingly sensitive to health and environmental issues. Conventional farming methods have become a topic of contention due to their potential to give rise to environmental and health-related problems. Consequently, a growing number of producers and consumers have started to place emphasis on organic crop and livestock practices. In this study, the provinces of Türkiye have been assessed and ranked in terms of their performance in organic crop, livestock, and beekeeping for the 2019-2022 period. This evaluation has been conducted utilizing TOPSIS which is a Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) method. The criteria considered for crop production encompassed "number of farmers", "total production area (ha)", and "production quantity (tons)". For livestock, criteria such as "number of farmers", "number of animals", "meat production (tons)", milk production (tons)", and "number of eggs (units)" were considered. Finally, organic beekeeping activities were assessed based on "number of farmers", "number of hives", and "production quantity (tons)". In conclusion, Aydın province consistently ranked first in organic farming between 2019 and 2022. In organic livestock farming, Çanakkale province demonstrated stability by maintaining a position within the top three across all years. Finally, according to organic beekeeping data, Van province achieved the first place in 2019 and secured the second place in subsequent years, indicating a notable performance.