Assessment of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants’ Contribution to the Country's Economy by Hybrid Multi-Criteria Decision-Making Approach: The Case of Turkey

Abstract

Medicinal and aromatic plants contribute to both the national economy and the well- being of forest villagers. In addition, these plants are generally used in a variety of industries such as medicine, food, paint, and perfumery. It is gaining popularity, and individuals are turning to herbal therapy as an alternative medical treatment. These medicinal plants can be popularised and utilised to boost the economies of medicinal-growing countries and provide livelihoods for local stakeholders. Furthermore, overexploitation of these therapeutic plants should be restricted, important species with high marketing potential should be protected, and cultivation of these plants should be encouraged for future use. Against this background, this study employs a hybrid multi-criteria decision-making technique to identify the medicinal and aromatic plants that contribute the most to the Turkish economy. The medicinal and aromatic plants that contributed the most to the country’s economy were found to be poppy seed, thyme, and laurel leaves. Moreover, the seed (sesame seed, flax seed, safflower seed) plants are determined as the least contributing medicinal and aromatic plants to the country’s economy. Cumin, anise, and salvia have also potential in terms of economics. Hence, these findings can help the farmers and decision-makers to determine which plants are more economically beneficial. Thus, plants with high economic value can be cultivated and exported to the rest of the world.

Keywords

• topsis
• entropy
• medicinal and aromatic plants