A multiple criteria decision making approach to manure management systems in the Netherlands

Keywords: Multiple criteria decision making Multiple objective programming Compromise programming Goal programming Analytical hierarchy process a b s t r a c t The intensification of livestock operations in the last few decades has resulted in an increased social concern over the environmental impacts of livestock operations and thus making appropriate manure management decisions increasingly important. A socially acceptable manure management system that simultaneously achieves the pressing environmental objectives while balancing the socioeconomic welfare of farmers and society at large is needed. Manure management decisions involve a number of decision makers with different and conflicting views of what is acceptable in the context of sustainable development. This paper developed a decision-making tool based on a multiple criteria decision making (MCDM) approach to address the manure management problems in the Netherlands. This paper has demonstrated the application of compromise programming and goal programming to evaluate key trade-offs between socioeconomic benefits and environmental sustainability of manure management systems while taking decision makers' conflicting views of the different criteria into account. The proposed methodology is a useful tool in assisting decision makers and policy makers in designing policies that enhance the introduction of economically, socially and environmentally sustainable manure management systems. The intensification of livestock operations in the European Union has caused increasing environmental impacts on the soil, the water and the air (Jongbloed & Lenis, 1998). Within the European Union, it is estimated that agriculture contributes 49% of CH 4 emissions and 63% of N 2 O emissions (Sommer, Petersen, & Moller, 2004). Most of CH 4 emissions originate from livestock manure during storage while most N 2 O emissions originate from field application of animal manure (Sommer et al., 2004). In order to abate these environmental hazards, a series of environmental regulations and directives have been implemented. The EU nitrate directive aims at reducing water pollution caused by nitrate from agriculture and the EU air quality directive sets limits on the emission of ammonia and nitrogen oxides to the atmosphere (Oenema, 2004). Manure management is becoming increasingly important in order to reduce environmental impacts (Karmakar, Lague, Agnew, & Landry, 2007). Manure management is defined as a decision making process at all stages, i.e. from collection of manure in animal houses till after field application that aims to combine profitable agricultural production with minimal nutrient losses from The extent and impact of the manure problems became clear in the 1970s and especially, …