Feasibility of optimizing olive production: Energy, environmental, and economic aspects

Abstract

The objective of this research was to conduct a comprehensive study utilizing a non-parametric method of data envelopment analysis (DEA) to examine the efficiency of olive orchards in order to identify wasteful practices of energy inputs for olive production in the origin of olive in Iran. In addition, the effect of energy input optimization was measured on the improvement of energy indices, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions rates, and production costs. The results revealed that based on the constant returns to scale model, 30.1 % of orchard gardeners were in the efficient mode of energy consumption, although based on the variable returns to scale model those mentioned above were 63.9 %. The total optimum energy requirement for olive production was found to be 14.1 GJ ha⁻¹, implying that by following the recommendations of this study, 8.7 % of total input energy could be saved while holding a constant level of olive yield. The assessment of environmental pollution has identified chemical fertilizers, electricity, and diesel fuels as the main sources of GHG emissions, and alterations in the pattern of energy consumption can lead to a substantial reduction of 9.2 % in primary GHG emissions. Furthermore, economic analysis discovered the potential for a 3.5 % improvement in both the benefit-to-cost ratio and productivity indices, as well as a 3.4 % reduction in the total cost of olive production.