A two-stage DEA model to evaluate sustainability and energy efficiency of tomato production

The aims of this study were to evaluate the sustainability and efficiency of tomato production and to investigate the determinants of inefficiency of tomato farming in Marand region of East Azerbaijan province, Iran. For these purposes, a two-stage methodology was applied, in which for the first time a fractional regression model (FRM) was employed in the second stage of analysis, so that, in the first stage a nonparametric Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) was used to analyze the efficiencies of tomato production and in the second stage, farm specific variables such as education level, farmers' age, total land size and use of manure were used in a fractional regression model to explain how these factors influenced efficiency of tomato farming. The results of the first stage showed that there are considerable differences between efficient and inefficient farmers in the studied area, so that the main differences were in the use of chemical fertilizers, biocides and water for irrigation. Also, the results of second stage revealed that farmers' age, education level and total land size positively affected efficiency in tomato production. So, better use of land, chemical fertilizers, water for irrigation and improving the farmers' educational levels through literacy campaign and land consolidation would probably increase the efficiency in the long term.