Advancing the WEFE Nexus Approach with Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis and Standardization Refinements

Water, energy, food, and ecosystem (WEFE) components constitute fundamental dimensions contributing to human well-being, poverty alleviation, and sustainable development. Despite the prevalent specialization among WEFE professionals, there is a lack of multidisciplinary approaches in their work, with limited attention given to carbon footprint management. Against this backdrop, this study aims to explore the potential role of standardization and multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) in implementing the WEFE approach within the food sector. The research entails a comprehensive examination of the International Standard Organization (ISO) 22000 certifications in Balkan countries, coupled with an analysis of the ISO 14067 standard and its alignment with food safety requirements. Finally, this study proposes a novel MCDA framework for integrating food safety considerations with criteria, factors, and indicators aimed at addressing both food safety and carbon footprint management. A hierarchical structure composed of influential criteria and factors was used to rank activities in sustainable, preferably carbon-neutral food production. Group decision making was applied in the fuzzy domain using triangular numbers, and the influence of experts was determined based on their experience. Practical recommendations aimed at managing trade-offs between the requirements of two elaborated standards are provided, emphasizing key environmental, societal, and economic insights to identify critical indicators for addressing biases in food safety and carbon footprint management.