Sustainable cultivation location optimization of the Jatropha curcas L. under uncertainty: A unified fuzzy data envelopment analysis approach

Second-generation biodiesel production from non-edible high oil content feedstocks such as Jutropha curcas L. (JCL) has been found as a suitable alternative for the fossil diesel which is mostly consumed in transportation sector. Second-generation biodiesel eliminates the drawbacks of the first generation such as food-energy challenge and provides opportunity for rural development. Location optimization of JCL plays a vital role in the success and prosperity of JCL projects. In this study, sustainability and ecological indicators are defined to evaluate the performance and efficiency of the candidate locations for JCL cultivation under uncertainty. The values of defined indicators are highly tainted with uncertainty in real-life situation. To optimize the candidate locations for JCL cultivation under uncertainty, an efficient Unified Fuzzy Data Envelopment Analysis (UFDEA) model is developed. The proposed UFDEA model is verified and validated through investigating a real case study in Iran and the associated results are compared to those obtained by the crisp Unified Data Envelopment Analysis model under different levels of uncertainty. The obtained results show the applicability of the proposed UFDEA model in selecting suitable areas for JCL cultivation under uncertainty.