Sustainability Assessment Approach Based on Total Factor Productivity Index: Application to Tunisian Policymakers in Agri-Food Supply Chain Context

Asma Fekih (), Safa Chabouh, Lilia Sidhom and Abdelkader Mami
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Asma Fekih: Laboratory of Energy Applications and Renewable Energy Efficiency (LAPER), Faculty of Sciences of Tunis, Campus Universitaire El-Manar, University of Tunis El Manar, Tunis 1068, Tunisia
Safa Chabouh: LR11ES20 Laboratoire d’Analyse, de Conception et de Commande des Systèmes (LACS), Ecole Nationale d’Ingénieurs de Tunis, Université de Tunis El Manar BP 37, Le Belvédère, Tunis 1002, Tunisia
Lilia Sidhom: Laboratory of Energy Applications and Renewable Energy Efficiency (LAPER), Faculty of Sciences of Tunis, Campus Universitaire El-Manar, University of Tunis El Manar, Tunis 1068, Tunisia
Abdelkader Mami: Laboratory of Energy Applications and Renewable Energy Efficiency (LAPER), Faculty of Sciences of Tunis, Campus Universitaire El-Manar, University of Tunis El Manar, Tunis 1068, Tunisia

Agriculture, 2025, vol. 15, issue 22, 1-23

Abstract: This paper proposes a policy-oriented framework to evaluate agricultural sustainability and productivity within agri-food supply chains (AFSCs), focusing on the Tunisian context. The Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) was applied to identify the most appropriate Total Factor Productivity (TFP) methods, based on criteria derived from expert interviews and literature review. Three approaches, the Solow Residual, Törnqvist–Theil, and Divisia indices, were assessed. The Divisia (AHP weight = 0.918) and Törnqvist–Theil (AHP weight = 0.547) indices achieved the highest rankings, reflecting their suitability for multi-output systems and robust productivity decomposition. Sustainability-related Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) were categorized as inputs and outputs and monetized using shadow prices sourced from academic, institutional, and field data. Applied to 2015–2020 data, overall TFP declined by 59.5%, mainly due to reduced resource-use efficiency, declining agricultural value added, and increasing input costs. Unlike prior studies focused on farm-level productivity, this framework integrates TFP with a multi-criteria sustainability assessment to enhance evidence-based policymaking. The results demonstrate that methodological choices substantially shape sustainability conclusions and highlight the added value of price-aware, multi-output indices for complex agricultural systems. Overall, the proposed AHP–TFP approach provides a transparent, adaptable, and policy-relevant tool for evaluating sustainable productivity in the agri-food sector.

Keywords: total factor productivity; sustainable agriculture; analytical hierarchy process; shadow pricing; key performance indicators; evidence-based policymaking (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jagris:v:15:y:2025:i:22:p:2313-:d:1789408

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