Integration of Life Cycle Assessment and Data Envelopment Analysis using a Free Disposable Hull Approach to Evaluate Farms' Eco-efficiency

The joint use of Life Cycle Assessment and Data Envelopment Analysis, also known as LCA+DEA, appears as a suitable methodology to evaluate eco-efficiency of multiple units. This methodology has been developed mainly during the last decade, and different methodological aspects has been proposed. However, there are other such as the use of advanced DEA models that have been poorly explored. In this sense, this study seeks to integrate the Free Disposable Hull (FDH) approach into LCA+DEA methodology, applied an agricultural case study. The five-step method is employed to a sample of 37 raspberry producers considering carbon footprint as environmental category. The results indicated that 11 farmers are identified as inefficient for which operational and environmental targets are proposed. The use of FDH model is suitable for the use into the LCA+DEA methodology since it allows to determine one benchmark for inefficient farmers, unlike others models widely used in this methodology, such as BCC, SBM or CCR.

Automated summary

The integration of the Free Disposable Hull (FDH) approach into the LCA+DEA methodology is studied using an agricultural case study. The results show that 11 farmers are identified as inefficient and operational and environmental targets are proposed for them. The FDH model is suitable for use in the LCA+DEA methodology as it allows for the determination of a benchmark for inefficient farmers, unlike other widely used models such as BCC, SBM, or CCR.