Application of interactive multiple goal programming techniques for analysis and planning of regional agricultural development.

This paper describes a method of investigating development possibilities for a region under various constraints and demands. Use is made of an interactive multiple goal linear programming technique. The method is illustrated with an example from a semi-arid zone in the Mediterranean Basin. It is concluded that the method can help to decide on feasible development pathways within a wide range of technical and socio-economic scenarios, and so explore the ‘margins for policy’. It enables communication between politics, planning and research and can therefore serve as a tool for more efficient development planning