IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jlands/v13y2024i1p72-d1315003.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Eco-Efficiency of Olive Farms across Diversified Ecological Farming Approaches

Author

Listed:
  • Alexandra Sintori

    (Agricultural Economics Research Institute, Hellenic Agricultural Organization-DIMITRA, 111 45 Athens, Greece)

  • Penelope Gouta

    (Agricultural Economics Research Institute, Hellenic Agricultural Organization-DIMITRA, 111 45 Athens, Greece
    Department of Agricultural Economics & Rural Development, Agricultural University of Athens (A.U.A.), 118 55 Athens, Greece)

  • Vasilia Konstantidelli

    (Agricultural Economics Research Institute, Hellenic Agricultural Organization-DIMITRA, 111 45 Athens, Greece
    Department of Agricultural Economics & Rural Development, Agricultural University of Athens (A.U.A.), 118 55 Athens, Greece)

  • Irene Tzouramani

    (Agricultural Economics Research Institute, Hellenic Agricultural Organization-DIMITRA, 111 45 Athens, Greece)

Abstract

Eco-efficiency is commonly used as an indicator of sustainability since it expresses the efficiency with which natural resources are utilized to meet people’s needs. Agriculture relies heavily on these ecological resources and by-produces significant environmental burdens, shifting the interest of researchers and policymakers toward the promotion of ecological practices. However, limited evidence exists regarding eco-efficiency across various ecological approaches like low input, conservation, and organic farming. This paper contributes to the existing literature and provides insight into the eco-efficiency of Cretan olive farms managed under different ecological approaches. Olive oil production is vital for the socio-economic sustainability of Mediterranean agriculture, a significant element of the region’s culture, and the basis of the well-known “Mediterranean diet”; therefore, it is crucial to investigate eco-efficient management options for olive farmers. Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) and a second-stage statistical analysis are employed to estimate the eco-efficiency of olive farms and investigate factors affecting it. Composite indicators for biodiversity, soil, and input management are incorporated in the eco-efficiency model. The results indicate that organic farms achieve the highest eco-efficiency scores, followed by other ecological approaches. Additionally, eco-efficiency seems to be explained by farmers’ dependency on subsidies, commitment to farming activity, and environmental awareness.

Suggested Citation

  • Alexandra Sintori & Penelope Gouta & Vasilia Konstantidelli & Irene Tzouramani, 2024. "Eco-Efficiency of Olive Farms across Diversified Ecological Farming Approaches," Land, MDPI, vol. 13(1), pages 1-19, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jlands:v:13:y:2024:i:1:p:72-:d:1315003
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/1/72/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/1/72/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Fabio A. Madau & Roberto Furesi & Pietro Pulina, 2017. "Technical efficiency and total factor productivity changes in European dairy farm sectors," Agricultural and Food Economics, Springer;Italian Society of Agricultural Economics (SIDEA), vol. 5(1), pages 1-14, December.
    2. Lassaad Lachaal & Boubaker Karray & Boubaker Dhehibi & Ali Chebil, 2005. "Technical Efficiency Measures and Its Determinants for Olive Producing Farms in Tunisia: A Stochastic Frontier Analysis," African Development Review, African Development Bank, vol. 17(3), pages 580-591.
    3. Picazo-Tadeo, Andrés J. & Beltrán-Esteve, Mercedes & Gómez-Limón, José A., 2012. "Assessing eco-efficiency with directional distance functions," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 220(3), pages 798-809.
    4. Charnes, A. & Cooper, W. W. & Rhodes, E., 1978. "Measuring the efficiency of decision making units," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 2(6), pages 429-444, November.
    5. Halkos, George & Petrou, Kleoniki Natalia, 2019. "Treating undesirable outputs in DEA: A critical review," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 62(C), pages 97-104.
    6. Simar, Leopold & Wilson, Paul W., 2007. "Estimation and inference in two-stage, semi-parametric models of production processes," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 136(1), pages 31-64, January.
    7. Van Passel, Steven & Nevens, Frank & Mathijs, Erik & Van Huylenbroeck, Guido, 2007. "Measuring farm sustainability and explaining differences in sustainable efficiency," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 62(1), pages 149-161, April.
    8. Theodoridis, A.M. & Psychoudakis, A. & Christofi, A., 2006. "Data Envelopment Analysis as a Complement to Marginal Analysis," Agricultural Economics Review, Greek Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 7(2), pages 1-11, July.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Joanna Domagała, 2021. "Economic and Environmental Aspects of Agriculture in the EU Countries," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(22), pages 1-23, November.
    2. Alexandra Sintori & Vasilia Konstantidelli & Penelope Gouta & Irene Tzouramani, 2023. "Profitability, Productivity, and Technical Efficiency of Cretan Olive Groves across Alternative Ecological Farm Types," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 13(12), pages 1-19, November.
    3. Victor MOUTINHO & Margarita ROBAINA & Pedro MACEDO, 2018. "Economic-environmental efficiency of European agriculture - a generalized maximum entropy approach," Agricultural Economics, Czech Academy of Agricultural Sciences, vol. 64(10), pages 423-435.
    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. Lucio Cecchini & Francesco Romagnoli & Massimo Chiorri & Biancamaria Torquati, 2023. "Eco-Efficiency and Its Determinants: The Case of the Italian Beef Cattle Sector," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 13(5), pages 1-18, May.
    6. Bonfiglio, Andrea & Arzeni, Andrea & Bodini, Antonella, 2017. "Assessing eco-efficiency of arable farms in rural areas," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 151(C), pages 114-125.
    7. Falavigna, G. & Ippoliti, R., 2020. "The socio-economic planning of a community nurses programme in mountain areas: A Directional Distance Function approach," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 71(C).
    8. Zhou, Haibo & Yang, Yi & Chen, Yao & Zhu, Joe, 2018. "Data envelopment analysis application in sustainability: The origins, development and future directions," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 264(1), pages 1-16.
    9. Picazo-Tadeo, Andrés J. & Beltrán-Esteve, Mercedes & Gómez-Limón, José A., 2012. "Assessing eco-efficiency with directional distance functions," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 220(3), pages 798-809.
    10. Alexandra Sintori & Angelos Liontakis & Irene Tzouramani, 2019. "Assessing the Environmental Efficiency of Greek Dairy Sheep Farms: GHG Emissions and Mitigation Potential," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 9(2), pages 1-14, February.
    11. Daniel Gaitán-Cremaschi & Frits K. Van Evert & Don M. Jansen & Miranda P. M. Meuwissen & Alfons G. J. M. Oude Lansink, 2018. "Assessing the Sustainability Performance of Coffee Farms in Vietnam: A Social Profit Inefficiency Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(11), pages 1-23, November.
    12. Minh-Hieu Le & Wen-Min Lu & Qian Long Kweh, 2023. "The moderating effects of power distance on corporate social responsibility and multinational enterprises performance," Review of Managerial Science, Springer, vol. 17(7), pages 2503-2533, October.
    13. Jesús Peiró-Palomino & Andrés J. Picazo-Tadeo, 2019. "Is Social Capital Green? Cultural Features and Environmental Performance in the European Union," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 72(3), pages 795-822, March.
    14. Spyros Niavis & Nikos Tamvakis & Basil Manos & George Vlontzos, 2018. "Assessing and Explaining the Efficiency of Extensive Olive Oil Farmers: The Case of Pelion Peninsula in Greece," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 8(2), pages 1-13, February.
    15. Sinuany-Stern, Zilla, 2023. "Foundations of operations research: From linear programming to data envelopment analysis," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 306(3), pages 1069-1080.
    16. Heidenreich, Anja & Grovermann, Christian & Kadzere, Irene & Egyir, Irene S. & Muriuki, Anne & Bandanaa, Joseph & Clottey, Joseph & Ndungu, John & Blockeel, Johan & Muller, Adrian & Stolze, Matthias &, 2022. "Sustainable intensification pathways in Sub-Saharan Africa: Assessing eco-efficiency of smallholder perennial cash crop production," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 195(C).
    17. Eder, Andreas & Salhofer, Klaus & Scheichel, Eva, 2021. "Land tenure, soil conservation, and farm performance: An eco-efficiency analysis of Austrian crop farms," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 180(C).
    18. Franz R. Hahn, 2007. "Determinants of Bank Efficiency in Europe. Assessing Bank Performance Across Markets," WIFO Studies, WIFO, number 31499.
    19. Helmi Hammami & Thanh Ngo & David Tripe & Dinh-Tri Vo, 2022. "Ranking with a Euclidean common set of weights in data envelopment analysis: with application to the Eurozone banking sector," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 311(2), pages 675-694, April.
    20. Santiago Carbó Valverde & David Humphrey & Rafael López del Paso, 2007. "Opening the black box: Finding the source of cost inefficiency," Journal of Productivity Analysis, Springer, vol. 27(3), pages 209-220, June.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jlands:v:13:y:2024:i:1:p:72-:d:1315003. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.