Multi-Criteria Decision-Making Applications in Agro-based Industries for Economic Development: An Overview of Global Trends, Collaborative Patterns, and Research Gaps

Agro-based industries (ABI) play a significant role in stimulating economic growth by boosting agricultural output, minimizing post-harvest losses, and promoting sustainability. Despite its significance, decision-making in ABI remains hard due to the need to balance economic, environmental, and social objectives. This paper tackles this gap with a bibliometric analysis of multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) applications in ABI, concentrating on global trends, collaborative patterns, and research gaps. Data were obtained from 407 publications published between 2015 and 2024 and examined using programs such as VOSviewer. The results indicate strong growth in MCDM research, with a peak in production reached in 2022. Key findings include the domination of contributions from nations like India, China, and the UK, and the identification of major writers and organizations impacting the subject. However, difficulties such as limited interdisciplinary collaboration and poor integration of emerging technology like artificial intelligence remain prominent. This study concludes that MCDM techniques are essential in optimizing supply chains, resource allocation, and sustainability assessments in ABI. By connecting theoretical frameworks with practical applications, the research gives actionable insights for better decision-making processes in agro-industrial environments, particularly in emerging economies.