A multiobjective DEA model to assess the eco-efficiency of agricultural practices within the CF + DEA method

Abstract

Reducing environmental impacts while maintaining high production levels is a challenge for environmentally sustainable agricultural production, which is more complex compared to other production systems. In this sense, it is important to measure environmental impacts and agricultural production in order to implement improvement plans. Moreover, it is relevant to add flexibility in the decision-making process for carrying out such implementations. The use of the Life Cycle Assessment + Data Envelopment Analysis (LCA + DEA) approach provides a tool to assess the eco-efficiency of units, considering environmental impacts, determining best practices and obtaining a single target for each inefficient unit. In this study, in order to add the necessary flexibility to the decision-making process, a multiobjective DEA model (MORO-D) is used, which provides a set of targets for each inefficient unit. According to their operational/managerial needs or limitations, the decision maker can choose a suitable target. This model is introduced within the four-step method for the Carbon Footprint (CF) + DEA approach, which leads to a new version of this method. We illustrated this new version assessing the eco-efficiency of organic blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum) orchards. As a way to support the decision-making process, criteria for selecting one target from the set of targets are proposed. The results and also the advantages of the new version of the four-step method over the previous one are discussed. When consulted, the producers highlighted the advantages of having multiple alternatives due to the changing market conditions and they were more predisposed to select the easiest to implement. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first multiobjective model used within the LCA + DEA approach.