Sustainable Cropping Pattern with the Tradeoff between Economic and Environmental Consideration in Shiraz Plain, Iran

Document Type : Original Research

Authors
E. Nourpouri 1
S. N. Moosavi 1
R. Moghaddasi 2
1 Department of Agricultural Economics, Marvdasht Branch, Islamic Azad University, Marvdasht, Islamic Republic of Iran.
2 Department of Agricultural Economics, Extension and Education, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran.
10.22034/JAST.26.5.957
Abstract
One of the most important decisions that farmers make is the allocation of resources in an optimal manner, which is often done by determining the optimal cropping pattern. The purpose of this study was to present a cultivation model compatible with the agricultural ecosystem of Shiraz Plain, Fars Province, Iran, by quantifying the environmental effects of agricultural production using the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) approach. The results of LCA showed that cultivation of crops such as lentils, onions, and tomatoes had the most negative environmental effects. The ecosystem quality index for crops in this plain varied between 0.03 and 3.64 PT. The highest negative impact of crop cultivation on the quality of the ecosystem was attributed to onion, tomato, and rain-fed lentils. The results of multi-objective planning showed that farmers can achieve their economic objectives and policymakers’ environmental goals through reducing the area under cultivation. By changing the cropping pattern towards the suggested pattern for Shiraz Plain, an average decrease of 5.60% in profit was expected. However, this change is an effective step in controlling consumption of water, chemical fertilizers, and pesticides. Achieving sustainable agriculture in terms of economic and environmental indicators is possible by reducing the cropland area and economic profit by 18.05% and 11.43%, respectively.

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Journal of Agricultural Science and Technology
Volume 26, Issue 5
September and October 2024
Pages 957-971