Integrated Assessment of Technical and Environmental Efficiency in Irrigated Wheat Production in Iran

Articles in Press

Document Type : Original Research

Author
Farshid Eshraghi
Department of Agricultural Economics, Faculty of Agriculture, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Islamic Republic of Iran.
Abstract
In Iran's arid and semi-arid regions, ensuring wheat production while reducing pressure on natural resources is a major challenge. This study evaluates the technical and environmental efficiency of irrigated wheat production across 377 Iranian counties during the 2023 cropping season. Technical efficiency was estimated using an input-oriented Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) model under variable returns to scale, while environmental efficiency was assessed by incorporating undesirable agrochemical inputs through an inverse transformation approach. To capture agrochemical-related environmental pressure, an Environmental Performance Index (EPI) was constructed using Principal Component Analysis (PCA) of fertilizer and pesticide use, where higher values indicate lower environmental pressure. Counties were grouped by hierarchical clustering based on environmental efficiency and EPI, and provincial benchmarking was conducted using an equal-weighted TOPSIS framework. The novelty of this study lies in integrating DEA, PCA, hierarchical clustering, spatial analysis, and TOPSIS within a unified framework applied to 377 counties, providing one of the first nationwide county-level assessments of technical and environmental efficiency in Iran's irrigated wheat sector. The average technical and environmental efficiency scores were 0.744 and 0.929, respectively, indicating considerable potential for input savings while maintaining current production levels. Nitrogen fertilizer was identified as the main driver of environmental pressure, and substantial spatial disparities were observed across counties. Overall, the findings highlight the importance of region-specific strategies that improve environmental sustainability while maintaining agricultural productivity.
Keywords
Agricultural benchmarking
Data envelopment analysis
Environmental performance index
Spatial analysis
Sustainability assessment
Subjects
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Journal of Agricultural Science and Technology

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 08 August 2026