Multi-Criteria Evaluation of Indigenous Crops and Fish Species for Value Chain Integration and Added-Value Commercialization in Cotabato Province

Abstract

Localized resource management is critical to ecological and economic sustainability. This study utilizes quantitative multi-criteria assessment data to examine how riparian communities along the Pulangi River in Mindanao, Philippines, value and preference indigenous crops and fish species. While economic incentives and income enhancement primarily drive agricultural and fisheries preferences, prioritization varies sharply across specific species. Among the analyzed varieties, residents prioritized cassava (Manihot esculenta) and giant mottled eel (Anguilla marmorata) for cultivation and value-added product development. These results offer actionable, empirical insights for stakeholders designing targeted biodiversity conservation policies and regional food security frameworks along the Pulangi River.