Sustainability and technical efficiency of fish hatcheries in the STATE of MATO GROSSO do SUL, Brazil

This study aims to analyze the level of sustainability of fingerling producers in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. We evaluated the level of sustainability taking into account social, environmental, economic and institutional dimensions. For each dimension, sub-indexes were calculated based on 24 variables. Sustainable Development Aquaculture Index (SDIA) was calculated for each production unit investigated. Subsequently, we used Data Envelopment Analysis for constant returns to scale, with input orientation to assess the environmental efficiency with regard to the use of production resources. Variables included exploration area in hectares, number of employees and income paid per employee (input), and SDIA (output). The results showed 20% of farmers used inputs rationally as reference for the other units; while 80% of producers operated inefficiently mainly due to the presence of increasing returns, thus reflecting the inefficiency in the resources allocation.