Assessing the Trade-Offs Between Farm Resilience and Farm Efficiency and its Implication to the Sustainability of Farming Systems

Climate change poses a threat to agricultural production in the Mediterranean region. Therefore, it is essential to build resilient and efficient farms to ensure food security and sustainable Mediterranean agriculture. Improved resilience of farms against climate shocks can enhance farm efficiency, depending on the farming system. Within the framework of the BIODIVER-SIFY project, the aim is to compare the resilience of different farming systems in the Mediterranean basin based on their diversification. To achieve this objective, a survey data is used from various case studies across the Mediterranean. The methodological approach is based on the impact of resilience capacity indicators on the technical efficiency of farms using the stochastic frontier model. The results show that the intensive farming system is more efficient, whereas the diversified farming system is more robust. Higher farm adaptability has a positive impact on the technical efficiency of diversified farming systems but a negative impact on the intensive ones. The results suggest trade-offs between resilience and farm efficiency that de-pend on the sustainability of the farming system. This study provides useful insights for farmers, policymakers, and researchers regarding the development of sustainable agricultural practices in the Mediterranean region.