Analytic Hierarchy Process and the Farmer's Decision Problem: Choosing Between Alternative Farming Systems

In this article we illustrate the application of a new method, the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), to a problem in farmer decision making. Unlike traditional decision tools, AHP is based on the principle that decision maker knowledge and experience are as valuable to the decision making process as quantitative data and information from other sources. In this theory of measurement, quantitative and intangible criteria in the decision making process are blended. Recently, AHP was applied to problems in economic modeling.