Analysis of Agricultural Sustainability and Food Security of E7 Countries within a Multi-Criteria Decision-Making Framework: An Application of RANCOM-SIWEC-ALPAS

The E7 countries, which account for nearly half of the world's population, hold a decisive share in global agricultural production, yet differ substantially in terms of food access, agricultural input management, and nutritional quality. The environmental pressure exerted by agricultural activities on ecological sustainability is mounting, while food insecurity remains a structural challenge in many of these countries. Against this backdrop, a comparative assessment of countries' agricultural sustainability and food security levels has become a critical necessity for policymakers, practitioners, and researchers alike. In this study, E7 countries are evaluated against nine criteria using data compiled from FAOSTAT for the 2018-2022 period. Criterion weights are determined through SIWEC and RANCOM methods, while country rankings are derived using the ALPAS multi-criteria decision-making method. The results reveal that the highest final weight is assigned to the proportion of the population unable to afford a healthy diet, followed by per capita protein supply and cereal yield. Russia, China, and Mexico occupy the top three positions in the country ranking. The differences among E7 countries are examined in terms of agricultural sustainability and food security, and comparative policy insights are presented.