Navigating effective knowledge management tools and practices for sustainable agriculture

Purpose The transition toward sustainable agriculture requires not only technological innovation but also robust knowledge-based systems capable of supporting complex and multidimensional decision-making processes. However, existing studies provide limited theoretical insight into how diverse knowledge management (KM) mechanisms interact and collectively contribute to sustainability outcomes in the presence of economic, social, and environmental trade-offs. This study aims to both theoretically conceptualize and empirically evaluate the relative contributions of knowledge-based tools and practices to sustainable agricultural systems. Design/methodology/approach This study proposes a hybrid multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) framework that integrates the analytic network process (ANP) and the axial distance based aggregated measurement (ADAM) to systematically quantify the relative contributions of knowledge-based tools and practices to sustainable agriculture. Fifteen knowledge-based tools and fifteen knowledge-based practices were identified through an extensive literature review and subsequently validated by an expert panel. The evaluation criteria were structured across four dimensions: knowledge enhancement, economic, social, and environmental sustainability. ANP was employed to derive global priority weights while accounting for interdependencies among criteria, and these weights were incorporated into the ADAM method to generate a geometric distance-based ranking of alternatives. Findings The results indicate that economic considerations exert the strongest influence on expert evaluations. Nevertheless, knowledge-based tools that enable real-time knowledge exchange and experiential learning, such as Internet of Things (IoT) technologies, peer-to-peer resource sharing systems, and decision support systems, emerged as the highest-ranked tools. Among knowledge-based practices, knowledge-sharing forums, mentoring and mentee schemes and best practices achieved the highest rankings. Originality/value Beyond methodological integration, this study advances theory by conceptualizing knowledge-based systems as interconnected and mutually reinforcing mechanisms that underpin sustainability in agricultural systems. Moreover, the proposed framework offers practical and strategic insights for policymakers, practitioners and agricultural stakeholders seeking to align KM investments with long-term sustainability objectives in a systematic and evidence-informed manner.