University of Tehran Journal of Environmental Studies 1025-8620 44 2 2018 09 22 Study and prioritize the various aspects of the producing transgenic plants Study and prioritize the various aspects of the producing transgenic plants 321 329 68331 10.22059/jes.2018.252684.1007607 FA Fatemeh Baghizadeh MSc, Department of Agricultural Economics, Faculty of Agriculture, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman, Iran Somayeh Amirtaimoori Assistant Professor, Department of Agricultural Economics, Faculty of Agriculture, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman, Iran 0000-0003-3534-1203 Mohammad Reza Zare Mehrjerdi Associate Professor, Department of Agricultural Economics, Faculty of Agriculture, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman, Iran 0000-0003-4292-9988 Maryam Ziaabadi Assistant Professor, Department of Tourism, Higher Education Complex Bam, Bam, Iran Journal Article 2018 08 01 The agricultural sector plays an important role in Iranian economy and food supplies. Iranʼs population is rising. Resources constraint, widespread use of fertilizers and pesticides, and environmental pollutions are problems of the agricultural sector in increasing agricultural production. Today, the production of transgenic plants is a new strategy for increasing the quantity and quality of agricultural products worldwide. Therefore, in this study, the economic, social, environmental, health, and management-policy aspects of the production of transgenic plants are examined and prioritized to determine the importance of considering each of these aspects. The Analytical Hierarchical Process (AHP) has been used to prioritize the criteria and sub-criteria. Data and statistics were collected through field survey and questionnaire collection from Kerman city experts in 2017. The results showed that health, environmental, economic, management-policy, and social criteria for producing these plants are the most important in terms of experts respectively. Therefore, investment and research in the field of transgenic plants can be done on the basis of the prioritization. Keywords: Analytical Hierarchical Process, Experts, Transgenic Plants. Introduction Rapid population growth, food shortages and environmental hazards have caused serious global challenges. The world’s population is growing rapidly and it is forecasted to reach 8.5 billion by 2025. Providing food for people is difficult due to lack of natural resources, so malnutrition has become a serious health problem for humans. Today, genetic engineering can increase the quantity and quality of food (Ashraf and Akram, 2009). Transgenic plants are from this category. So far, in a comprehensive study, there has been no prioritization of the various aspects (economic, social, environmental, health, and management-policy) of transgenic plants production in Iran. Therefore, the comprehensive study of these plants seems necessary to plan for production. Therefore, in this study, transgenic plants have been investigated from five socio-economic, social, health, health, and management aspects. Materials and Methods In this research, an analytical hierarchical process (AHP) has been used to prioritize criteria and sub-criteria. The first level of hierarchical structure includes the main goal of prioritizing the various aspects of the production of transgenic plants. The second level covers the major criteria of the production of transgenic plants, including economic, social, environmental, health, and management-policy, and the final level includes sub-criteria of each of the main criteria. Data and statistics were collected through field survey and questionnaire collection from experts. Due to the lack of information from all experts in the field of genetically modified plants, 27 questionnaires were completed by experts in this field (environmental, agricultural and biotechnology experts). Discussion of Results & Conclusions After creating the decision tree in Expert Choice software and entering the data collected from the questionnaires in the form of pairwise comparisons, weights of each of the five criteria (economic, social, environmental, health, and management-policy) and their sub-criteria for plant production Transgenic was identified (Table 1-6). Table 1. Weight of different criteria for the production of transgenic plants Criteria Weight Health 0.456 environmental 0.217 Economic 0.184 Management-policy 0.073 social 0.071 Inconsistency Rate 0.08 Source: Research results Table 2. Relative weight of sub-criteria of economic criteria for the production of transgenic plants Criteria Weight Increase of Yield 0.418 Increase of Productivity 0.271 Resistance to tensions 0.188 Increased foreign exchange earnings 0.087 Persistence 0.036 Inconsistency Rate 0.08 Source: Research results Table 3. Relative weight of sub-criteria of environmental criteria for the production of transgenic plants Criteria Weight Health of the plants and the environment 0.491 Reduce the use of pesticides and fertilizers 0.275 Avoid waste of resources 0.123 Avoid the pollution 0.111 Inconsistency Rate 0.05 Source: Research results Table 4. Relative weight of sub-criteria of social criteria for the production of transgenic plants Criteria Weight Helping to eliminate malnutrition 0.515 Reducing food prices 0.321 Increasing product quality 0.120 Unwillingness of traditional farmer 0.044 Inconsistency Rate 0.09 Source: Research results Table 5. Relative weight of sub-criteria of health criteria for the production of transgenic plants Criteria Weight Human health 0.509 Promoting nutritional value 0.251 Promoting environmental health 0.171 Reduce food toxicity 0.069 Inconsistency Rate 0.06 Source: Research results Table 6. Relative weight of sub-criteria of management-policy criteria for the production of transgenic plants Criteria Weight Expanding research centers 0.545 Aligning the programs of relevant institutions 0.241 Create strong management programs and systems 0.108 Awareness and support of farmers 0.066 Rules and policy barriers 0.066 Inconsistency Rate 0.08 Source: Research results The results showed that health criteria is most important in the production of these plants, and environmental, economic, managerial, policy and social criteria are in the top priority for experts, respectively. Among the health sub-criteria, improving human health and promoting nutritional value are the most important alternatives in terms of experts. The prioritization of environmental criteria has shown that the health of plants and the environment and the reduction the use of pesticides and fertilizers are the top priority. The results of the prioritization of the economic sub-criteria indicate that the increase of yield and increase of productivity have the highest priority in terms of experts. Also, the results showed that the expansion of research centers and aligning the programs of relevant institutions are among the most important management-policy options. Based on the results of the social criteria prioritization, helping to eliminate malnutrition and reducing food prices were the highest priority in terms of experts. Therefore, we can recommend that research and investment in the field of production of these plants primarily lead to health and then to the environment and other aspects of the other. The agricultural sector plays an important role in Iranian economy and food supplies. Iranʼs population is rising. Resources constraint, widespread use of fertilizers and pesticides, and environmental pollutions are problems of the agricultural sector in increasing agricultural production. Today, the production of transgenic plants is a new strategy for increasing the quantity and quality of agricultural products worldwide. Therefore, in this study, the economic, social, environmental, health, and management-policy aspects of the production of transgenic plants are examined and prioritized to determine the importance of considering each of these aspects. The Analytical Hierarchical Process (AHP) has been used to prioritize the criteria and sub-criteria. Data and statistics were collected through field survey and questionnaire collection from Kerman city experts in 2017. The results showed that health, environmental, economic, management-policy, and social criteria for producing these plants are the most important in terms of experts respectively. Therefore, investment and research in the field of transgenic plants can be done on the basis of the prioritization. Keywords: Analytical Hierarchical Process, Experts, Transgenic Plants. Introduction Rapid population growth, food shortages and environmental hazards have caused serious global challenges. The world’s population is growing rapidly and it is forecasted to reach 8.5 billion by 2025. Providing food for people is difficult due to lack of natural resources, so malnutrition has become a serious health problem for humans. Today, genetic engineering can increase the quantity and quality of food (Ashraf and Akram, 2009). Transgenic plants are from this category. So far, in a comprehensive study, there has been no prioritization of the various aspects (economic, social, environmental, health, and management-policy) of transgenic plants production in Iran. Therefore, the comprehensive study of these plants seems necessary to plan for production. Therefore, in this study, transgenic plants have been investigated from five socio-economic, social, health, health, and management aspects. Materials and Methods In this research, an analytical hierarchical process (AHP) has been used to prioritize criteria and sub-criteria. The first level of hierarchical structure includes the main goal of prioritizing the various aspects of the production of transgenic plants. The second level covers the major criteria of the production of transgenic plants, including economic, social, environmental, health, and management-policy, and the final level includes sub-criteria of each of the main criteria. Data and statistics were collected through field survey and questionnaire collection from experts. Due to the lack of information from all experts in the field of genetically modified plants, 27 questionnaires were completed by experts in this field (environmental, agricultural and biotechnology experts). Discussion of Results & Conclusions After creating the decision tree in Expert Choice software and entering the data collected from the questionnaires in the form of pairwise comparisons, weights of each of the five criteria (economic, social, environmental, health, and management-policy) and their sub-criteria for plant production Transgenic was identified (Table 1-6). Table 1. Weight of different criteria for the production of transgenic plants Criteria Weight Health 0.456 environmental 0.217 Economic 0.184 Management-policy 0.073 social 0.071 Inconsistency Rate 0.08 Source: Research results Table 2. Relative weight of sub-criteria of economic criteria for the production of transgenic plants Criteria Weight Increase of Yield 0.418 Increase of Productivity 0.271 Resistance to tensions 0.188 Increased foreign exchange earnings 0.087 Persistence 0.036 Inconsistency Rate 0.08 Source: Research results Table 3. Relative weight of sub-criteria of environmental criteria for the production of transgenic plants Criteria Weight Health of the plants and the environment 0.491 Reduce the use of pesticides and fertilizers 0.275 Avoid waste of resources 0.123 Avoid the pollution 0.111 Inconsistency Rate 0.05 Source: Research results Table 4. Relative weight of sub-criteria of social criteria for the production of transgenic plants Criteria Weight Helping to eliminate malnutrition 0.515 Reducing food prices 0.321 Increasing product quality 0.120 Unwillingness of traditional farmer 0.044 Inconsistency Rate 0.09 Source: Research results Table 5. Relative weight of sub-criteria of health criteria for the production of transgenic plants Criteria Weight Human health 0.509 Promoting nutritional value 0.251 Promoting environmental health 0.171 Reduce food toxicity 0.069 Inconsistency Rate 0.06 Source: Research results Table 6. Relative weight of sub-criteria of management-policy criteria for the production of transgenic plants Criteria Weight Expanding research centers 0.545 Aligning the programs of relevant institutions 0.241 Create strong management programs and systems 0.108 Awareness and support of farmers 0.066 Rules and policy barriers 0.066 Inconsistency Rate 0.08 Source: Research results The results showed that health criteria is most important in the production of these plants, and environmental, economic, managerial, policy and social criteria are in the top priority for experts, respectively. Among the health sub-criteria, improving human health and promoting nutritional value are the most important alternatives in terms of experts. The prioritization of environmental criteria has shown that the health of plants and the environment and the reduction the use of pesticides and fertilizers are the top priority. The results of the prioritization of the economic sub-criteria indicate that the increase of yield and increase of productivity have the highest priority in terms of experts. Also, the results showed that the expansion of research centers and aligning the programs of relevant institutions are among the most important management-policy options. Based on the results of the social criteria prioritization, helping to eliminate malnutrition and reducing food prices were the highest priority in terms of experts. Therefore, we can recommend that research and investment in the field of production of these plants primarily lead to health and then to the environment and other aspects of the other.

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