A Cluster Analysis on the Energy Use Indicators and Carbon Footprint of Irrigated Wheat Cropping Systems

Hamed Rafiee, Milad Aminizadeh, Elham Mehrparvar Hosseini, Hanane Aghasafari and Ali Mohammadi
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Hamed Rafiee: Department of Agricultural Economics, University of Tehran, Tehran 3158777871, Iran
Milad Aminizadeh: Department of Agricultural Economics, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad 9177948974, Iran
Elham Mehrparvar Hosseini: Department of Agricultural Economics, University of Tehran, Tehran 3158777871, Iran
Hanane Aghasafari: Department of Agricultural Economics, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad 9177948974, Iran
Ali Mohammadi: Department of Engineering and Chemical Sciences, Karlstad University, 65188 Karlstad, Sweden

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 7, 1-19

Abstract: The objective of this study is to analyze the energy use efficiency and carbon footprint of irrigated wheat systems in different Iranian provinces. The authors resort to the k-means clustering technique to fulfil the said objective. The empirical results reveal that the average total input energy (59.5 GJ ha −1 ) is higher than the average energy output (45.82 GJ ha −1 ) from wheat production, resulting in an average energy efficiency of 0.77, thus rendering the production of irrigated wheat in Iran energy-inefficient on average. Among the thirty wheat-producing Iranian provinces considered in this analysis, only six—East Azerbaijan, Golestan, Ardabil, Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad, Alborz, and West Azerbaijan—register an energy use efficiency greater than unity. The average total of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from irrigated wheat is 2243.54 kg CO 2 -eq ha −1 (with electricity and diesel fuel contributing 52.4% and 29.4%, respectively). The authors categorize the clusters into five groups ranging from sustainable to unsustainable. Five of the six provinces referred to earlier fall into the ‘sustainable’ category, with Bushehr being the sixth. The wheat production units in the ‘sustainable’ category can serve as a benchmark for the clusters in the other categories, which can move up the ladder of sustainability. The authors also recommend measures that policymakers can undertake to ensure the sustainable development of wheat production in Iran, fulfilling the social imperative of food self-sufficiency while truncating the environmental footprint and ensuring economic feasibility.

Keywords: energy efficiency; GHG emissions; k-means clustering; provincial-level analysis; wheat production; Iran (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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