Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Department of agricultural mechanization, Science and research branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran

2 هیئت علمی گروه مهندسی مکانیک ماشین های کشاورزی و مکانیزاسیون، واحد علوم و تحقیقات تهران، دانشگاه آزاد اسلامی

Abstract

The increasing trend of agricultural waste, considering population growth and increased agricultural production, has become a serious challenge for many countries. In order to avoid unsustainable changes in the consumption pattern of these resources, it is essential to employ proper planning and suitable strategies to prevent long-term damages. To address this issue, this research has prioritized various strategies for energy production from agricultural waste using SWOT analysis. The Analytic Network Process (ANP) algorithm has been utilized to quantify the weights and effects of the strategic factors, considering their interdependencies. The best strategy selection has formed the four-level network of primary and secondary factors in the SWOT matrix and proposed strategies. The algorithm's results indicate that the strength factor holds the highest weight of 0.698, followed by the threat factor with a weight of 0.632 in the second rank, while the weaknesses and opportunities have weights of 0.263 and 0.180, respectively, in subsequent ranks. Furthermore, the evaluation of weight coefficients for the ten proposed strategies reveals that the strategy of developing the cultural infrastructure for bioenergy has the highest weight of 0.1356, followed by the mechanized harvesting of agricultural waste with a weight of 0.1188 in the second rank, and the development of bioenergy exports with a weight of 0.1095 in the third rank.

Keywords