The integrated fuzzy and relative index for poverty analysis: A review of applications in the social sciences

We review the Integrated Fuzzy and Relative (IFR) approach with the aim of showing how its universal and interdisciplinary features can be used to define composite indicators in different settings. This methodology, introduced for the purpose of measuring poverty by means of a multidimensional perspective and fuzzy logic, can be applied in different research frameworks. The article provides and discusses two practical examples of applications of this methodology in two different settings, namely, children’s wellbeing and agro-food sustainability. The paper concludes with warnings that should be heeded by analysts, policymakers, and audiences when computing, examining or reading the results of this methodology.