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Assessing the Environmental Efficiency of Greek Dairy Sheep Farms: GHG Emissions and Mitigation Potential

Author

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  • Alexandra Sintori

    (Agricultural Economics Research Institute, Hellenic Agricultural Organization—ELGO-DEMETER, PC 11528 Athens, Greece)

  • Angelos Liontakis

    (Agricultural Economics Research Institute, Hellenic Agricultural Organization—ELGO-DEMETER, PC 11528 Athens, Greece)

  • Irene Tzouramani

    (Agricultural Economics Research Institute, Hellenic Agricultural Organization—ELGO-DEMETER, PC 11528 Athens, Greece)

Abstract
One of the main ecological challenges that agricultural and especially livestock production systems face is the adoption of management practices that encourage the mitigation of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, while maintaining their production level. According to the relevant literature, the potential for GHG reduction lies mainly in greater efficiency in meat and dairy production, which suggests that the ecological modernization of livestock farms follows the efficiency/substitution pathway. This study aims to investigate the above assumption and explore the link between the technical efficiency (TE) and environmental efficiency (EE) of livestock farms using data envelopment analysis (DEA). The analysis focuses on dairy sheep farming, since the activity is important for the Greek rural economy while at the same time responsible for half of the country’s agricultural methane emissions. Results indicate that the correlation between technical and environmental efficiency of sheep farms is significant. Environmental efficiency is affected by farm size, specialization and production orientation. Feeding practices, like the ratio of concentrates to forage, also appear to have a positive effect on environmental efficiency. On the other hand, experienced farmers tend to have lower environmental efficiency, which may indicate their reluctance to adopt modern farming practices.

Suggested Citation

  • Alexandra Sintori & Angelos Liontakis & Irene Tzouramani, 2019. "Assessing the Environmental Efficiency of Greek Dairy Sheep Farms: GHG Emissions and Mitigation Potential," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 9(2), pages 1-14, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jagris:v:9:y:2019:i:2:p:28-:d:202492
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Alexandros Theodoridis & Sotiria Vouraki & Emmanuel Morin & Georgia Koutouzidou & Georgios Arsenos, 2022. "Efficiency Analysis and Identification of Best Practices and Innovations in Dairy Sheep Farming," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(21), pages 1-12, October.
    2. Leonidas Sotirios Kyrgiakos & Georgios Kleftodimos & George Vlontzos & Panos M. Pardalos, 2023. "A systematic literature review of data envelopment analysis implementation in agriculture under the prism of sustainability," Operational Research, Springer, vol. 23(1), pages 1-38, March.
    3. Georgios Kleftodimos & Leonidas Sotirios Kyrgiakos & Christina Kleisiari & Aristotelis C. Tagarakis & Dionysis Bochtis, 2021. "Examining Farmers’ Adoption Decisions towards Precision-Agricultural Practices in Greek Dairy Cattle Farms," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(1), pages 1-10, December.
    4. Jakub Staniszewski & Anika Muder, 2023. "Structural and weather-related factors of the sustainable intensification process in agriculture of the European Union regions," Agricultural Economics, Czech Academy of Agricultural Sciences, vol. 69(10), pages 385-393.

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