Authors:
L. Lauwers
1
and
J. Van Meensel
2
Affiliations:
1
Institute for Agricultural and Fisheries Research and Ghent University, Belgium
;
2
Institute for Agricultural and Fisheries Research, Belgium
Keyword(s):
Eco-efficiency, Productive Efficiency, Data Envelopment Analysis, Materials Balance Principle.
Related
Ontology
Subjects/Areas/Topics:
Applications
;
Decision Analysis
;
Decision Support Systems
;
Energy and Environment
;
Linear Programming
;
Management Sciences
;
Methodologies and Technologies
;
Operational Research
;
Pattern Recognition
;
Resource Allocation
;
Software Engineering
Abstract:
Traditional eco-efficiency measurements insufficiently support trade-offs analysis. The objective of the paper is to explore trade-offs analysis support from the branch of productive efficiency analysis techniques. The paper focuses on the linear programming based data envelopment analysis (DEA) models, adjusted for an analogous treatment of the economic and environmental outcomes. In particular, the models are adjusted for the materials balance principle. They allow for differentiating between win-win and trade-offs while substituting for inputs or outputs. Their results are obvious for simple production processes, but the message gets blurred with multiple inputs, outputs and outcomes. The paper explores multiple economic-ecological trade-offs with materials-balance-based efficiency DEA models with a simple illustrative case of 62 typical pig firms. Separate DEA models calculate technical, economic and the efficiency for nutrient, water and energy use. Mutual win-wins and trade-off
s are shown. Shortcomings are discussed and further model adjustments based on directional distance functions, instead of radial ones, are proposed.
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