Document Type : Original Research
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Abstract
In order to study the efficiency resulting from optimization of energy consumptionin organic farming, the amount of consumption and production inputs and their costs, obtained profit, cultivated area and … was estimated in conjuction with the three crop of wheat, canola and tomato in Iran over a five year period 2006-2011. Using the objective function and constraints, the DEA method was used to analyze the data. All the processes of models estimation was performed using DEAP software. To calculate the energy amount in external inputs consumption in conventional and organic farming were used coefficients to convert the amount of energy input consumption, too. Finally, the energy consumptions were compared in the two cultures. According to these results, the use of organic fertilizers and biological inputs (in consequence of more energy consumption in organic specific inputs) leads to lower productivity growth in organic products. These results were significant in the 5 and 1 percent levels, respectively. Due to the type of used inputs in the inorganic products, in fuel inputs, nitrogen fertilizer, phosphate fertilizer, insecticide and fungicide, inorganic products had more consumption and hence the amount of energy inputs for organic products was higher. In the case of biofertilizer and biocontrol were also used in organic production, input energy in this part was more than input energy of inorganic products. Organic farms with lower energy consumption of imports and inputs, led to production of more energy in output. Thus the efficiency besides saving of energy consumption occurred in organic products.
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