Efficiency Evaluation and the Impact Factors of Sustainable Forestry Development in China: Adoption of Super-Efficiency Data Envelopment Analysis and Malmquist Index Methods

Abstract

Forestry is the underpinning of economic and environmental civilization for sustainable economic development. Forestry benefits ecosystems and local dwellings; thus, transforming and advancing forest products in a civilized society is critical to building a progressive community. This research aims to analyze the merits of forest products based on static, dynamic, and scale efficiency. It employed the super-efficient data envelopment analysis—Charnes, Cooper and Rhodes, and Malmquist index methods with an enhanced robustness check by applying the Stochastic Frontier Analysis. The results show that, first, from the perspective of static efficiency, the forestry industry’s operating performance is maintained at a relatively high level, with a minimal fluctuation range; however, the scale efficiency is observed at a deficient level. Limited by the scale efficiency results, the aggregate comprehensive technical efficiency was at a low standard. The average total factor productivity of dynamic efficiency for each company reached 1.029, indicating that the resource allocation of listed companies is relatively reasonable, operating efficiency is on the rise, and technical level changes are a substantial source of total factor productivity growth. Furthermore, the super efficiency DEA findings indicated that 11 of the most high-performance companies attained an efficiency value above criterion value one after re-ranking. The comprehensive efficiency value of Sun Paper reached 1.438 in 2019, Sophia 1.393, Hexing Packaging 1.383, Fujian Jinsen 1.326, Bunny 1.271, Meike Home Furnishing 1.235, Jingxing Paper 1.222, Zhongshun Jiezou 1.116, Meiying Sen 1.099, Chenming Paper 1.064, Da Ya Dekor 1.015. Second, the comprehensive efficiency value of Fujian Jinsen’s company has a more significant impact on the overall average efficiency of the forestry listed companies. After excluding Fujian Jinsen, the average comprehensive efficiency of 2018–2019 indicated an upward trend for the listed companies. This study suggests that policymakers should strengthen the forestry industry development plan and policy implementation regulations to focus on the forward-looking and guiding principles of industrial and technological innovation policies.