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Technical effici ency and agricultural sustainability–technology gap of maize producers in Fars province of Iran

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  • Farnaz Pourzand
  • Mohammad Bakhshoodeh

Abstract

Fars has a special place in Iran in terms of natural resources and diverse climate aiming this province to increase production of major crops such as corns. In light of increasing domestic production and preventing yield loss of maize, many farmers utilize high quantities of pesticides, chemical fertilizers and over-extract groundwater without considering immediate and long-term consequences of such operations on environment. The main purpose of this study is to investigate technical efficiency and sustainability–technology gap ratio (STGR) of maize producers by agricultural sustainability in Fars province in Iran. Technical efficiency is considered as a key element among the triple elements of sustainable development (economic, social and ecological). Applying model of agricultural sustainability and compromise programming method, regions were classified into three groups (sustainable, relatively sustainable and unsustainable), and data were collected interviewing a total of 300 farmers in 2008–2009 from Kazerun, Firouzabad and Marvdasht chosen randomly and systematically as representatives of these three groups. Technical efficiencies and STGRs were calculated for the regions applying stochastic production frontier, regional stochastic frontier functions and the metafrontier. The results indicate that assuming the same technology between the fields (traditional methods) leads to overestimation of technical efficiency. Mean STGRs in Marvdasht, Firouzabad and Kazerun were found to be 59.3, 71.1 and 68.9, respectively. This suggests that technical efficiency and STGR of relatively sustainable regions are higher than those of the unsustainable regions. Thus, farmers in these areas can reduce gap between technology and agricultural sustainability levels via achieving metatechnology that is compatible with sustainable agriculture. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2014

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  • Farnaz Pourzand & Mohammad Bakhshoodeh, 2014. "Technical effici ency and agricultural sustainability–technology gap of maize producers in Fars province of Iran," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 16(3), pages 671-688, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:endesu:v:16:y:2014:i:3:p:671-688
    DOI: 10.1007/s10668-013-9501-x
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    1. Sebastian Lakner & Thelma Brenes‐Muñoz & Bernhard Brümmer, 2017. "Technical Efficiency in Chilean Agribusiness Industry: A Metafrontier Approach," Agribusiness, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 33(3), pages 302-323, June.
    2. Vo Hong Tu & Nguyen Duy Can & Yoshifumi Takahashi & Steven W. Kopp & Mitsuyasu Yabe, 2019. "Technical and environmental efficiency of eco-friendly rice production in the upstream region of the Vietnamese Mekong delta," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 21(5), pages 2401-2424, October.

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