VILNIUS TECH Library invites you to follow the published new dissertations. The dissertation „Economic assessment of agricultural sector in the context of sustainability“ prepared at VILNIUS TECH by Ahmad Bathaei. The dissertation was prepared in 2021–2026. Scientific consultant – Prof. Dr Dalia Štreimikienė.
The dissertation was defended at the public meeting of the Dissertation Defence Council of the Scientific Field of Economics in the Aula Doctoralis Meeting Hall of Vilnius Gediminas Technical University at 2 p.m. on 14 May 2026.
This dissertation explores the economic assessment of the agricultural sector within the broader context of sustainability, with a particular focus on the Baltic States. As agriculture continues to play a central role in rural economies and food security, integrating sustainability principles into economic evaluation has become increasingly important. Despite numerous studies on sustainable agriculture, there remains a lack of comprehensive frameworks that combine multidimensional indicators with region-specific data and stakeholder input. This research develops an integrated methodology for gap-filling to identify, evaluate, and prioritise sustainability indicators, and to develop the indicators across the economic, environmental, and social domains. The work comprises four interconnected pieces of research. First, a systematic review of the literature conducted under the SALSA (Search, Appraisal, Synthesis, and Analysis) and PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) protocols identified 101 indicators, which will serve as a basis for the subsequent analyses. Second, a focused review of the conjunction of renewable energy and agriculture identified 84 indicators and demonstrated the importance of energy efficiency and resource circularity for sustainable farming practices. Third, this research applied the TOPSIS (Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to the Ideal Solution) method for the first time to rank sustainability indicators in the Baltic States, integrating expert opinions with Eurostat statistical data. The assessment examined the environmental priorities of soil health, water and fertiliser management, and the social and economic dimensions. Finally, eleven economic indicators identified through the Delphi and the Best–Worst Method (BWM) were selected and ranked, and investment intensity, income diversification, labour productivity, and market access were found to be the most important economic indicators of agricultural sustainability. The studies allow for drawing up evidence-based policy formulation and strategic planning. The dissertation presents a new model for evaluating sustainable agriculture. It provides a practical, regionally specific, and empirically precise understanding of the sustainability problem. The framework helps policy makers, researchers, and practitioners, particularly in post-transition economies, identify areas that require intervention and investment, such as Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia. The adaptability of this work to other parts of the world facing the same problem is a means of assisting countries in achieving sustainable agricultural development through economic evaluation.
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