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Eco-Efficiency Evaluation of Agricultural Production in the EU-28

Author

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  • Magdalena Rybaczewska-Błażejowska

    (Department of Production Engineering, Kielce University of Technology, Tysiąclecia Państwa Polskiego 7, 25-314 Kielce, Poland)

  • Wacław Gierulski

    (Department of Production Engineering, Kielce University of Technology, Tysiąclecia Państwa Polskiego 7, 25-314 Kielce, Poland)

Abstract

This paper evaluates the eco-efficiency performance of agriculture at the sector level using the joint application of life cycle assessment (LCA) and data envelopment analysis (DEA) techniques. The research has been performed for the agricultural production of the 28 member states of the European Union (the EU-28). The foundation for the calculation of the eco-efficiency performance was a statistically selected set of impact categories derived from the life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) phase as input values and economic indicators, with the gross domestic product (GDP) of their agriculture as the output value. The results of the analysis showed that the agricultural sectors of 10 member states of the European Union (i.e., Belgium, Bulgaria, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Italy, Malta, the Netherlands, Romania, and Sweden) are relatively eco-efficient. The remaining 18 member states of the EU-28 have eco-inefficient agricultural sectors, though to a varying extent. This means that their agricultural sectors consume too many natural resources (in particular, energy), use too much fertilizer, and produce considerable amounts of airborne emissions in relation to the current level of GDP per hectare. These insights into the eco-efficiency performance of agriculture in the EU-28 may contribute to the adoption of better management techniques and more effective agricultural policies.

Suggested Citation

  • Magdalena Rybaczewska-Błażejowska & Wacław Gierulski, 2018. "Eco-Efficiency Evaluation of Agricultural Production in the EU-28," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(12), pages 1-21, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:10:y:2018:i:12:p:4544-:d:187171
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    Cited by:

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    2. Piotr Borawski & Beata Kalinowska & Bartosz Mickiewicz & Andrzej Parzonko & Bogdan Klepacki & James Willam Dunn, 2021. "Changes in the Milk Market in the United States on the Background of the European Union and the World," European Research Studies Journal, European Research Studies Journal, vol. 0(Special 1), pages 1010-1033.
    3. Edward Majewski & Anna Komerska & Jerzy Kwiatkowski & Agata Malak-Rawlikowska & Adam Wąs & Piotr Sulewski & Marlena Gołaś & Kinga Pogodzińska & Jean-Loup Lecoeur & Barbara Tocco & Áron Török & Michele, 2020. "Are Short Food Supply Chains More Environmentally Sustainable than Long Chains? A Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of the Eco-Efficiency of Food Chains in Selected EU Countries," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(18), pages 1-26, September.
    4. Leonidas Sotirios Kyrgiakos & Georgios Kleftodimos & George Vlontzos & Panos M. Pardalos, 2023. "A systematic literature review of data envelopment analysis implementation in agriculture under the prism of sustainability," Operational Research, Springer, vol. 23(1), pages 1-38, March.
    5. Yun Hao & Degang Yang & Jingjing Yin & Xi Chen & Anming Bao & Miao Wu & Xiaoyun Zhang, 2019. "The Effects of Ecological Policy of Kyrgyzstan Based on Data Envelope Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(7), pages 1-18, March.
    6. Leonidas Sotirios Kyrgiakos & George Vlontzos & Panos M. Pardalos, 2021. "Ranking EU Agricultural Sectors under the Prism of Alternative Widths on Window DEA," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(4), pages 1-26, February.
    7. Junya Yamasaki & Toshiharu Ikaga & Norihiro Itsubo, 2019. "Eco-Efficiency Assessment of Japanese Municipalities Based on Environmental Impacts and Gross Regional Product," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(15), pages 1-21, July.
    8. Han, Yonghui & Zhang, Fan & Huang, Liangxiong & Peng, Keming & Wang, Xianbin, 2021. "Does industrial upgrading promote eco-efficiency? ─A panel space estimation based on Chinese evidence," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 154(C).
    9. Liangen Zeng, 2021. "China’s Eco-Efficiency: Regional Differences and Influencing Factors Based on a Spatial Panel Data Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(6), pages 1-19, March.
    10. Liu, Yansui & Zou, Lilin & Wang, Yongsheng, 2020. "Spatial-temporal characteristics and influencing factors of agricultural eco-efficiency in China in recent 40 years," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 97(C).
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