Multi-Criteria Analysis of Investment Choices Following Flood Damage: The Case Study of Sustainable Citrus Farming in Sicily

Abstract

Current climate change is confronting farms with extreme conditions, with severe drought for a good part of the year and flooding rains for a month. The changes taking place on our planet make it necessary for farmers to understand and assess how they can counteract the damage of climate change by adopting sustainable strategies to cope with the future. This makes environmental, economic and social sustainability more relevant than ever in the production sector. The research, in relation to the spread of exceptional conditions, which cause damage and extraordinary changes in the production system of farmers, aims to define a sustainable assessment model by evaluating the three pillars of sustainability. The proposed methodology, which is based on participatory planning of investment choice, starts from the assumption that the application of methodologies regarding the choice of investment projects must be placed in a broader context than just economic evaluation, including all dimensions of sustainability. Through the involvement of industry stakeholders, it emerged that the implementation of drastic measures is the long-term optimal choice.