Sustainability and Optimal Allocation of Human Resource of Agricultural Practices in Sistan and Baluchestan Province Based on Network DEA

Abstract

The agricultural sector ensures food security in every country.Optimal agricultural practices presuppose the optimal allocationof resources, including water, soil, etc., by official authorities in everycountry because excessive use of natural resources would have harmfulconsequences for posterity despite meeting ad hoc needs. Therefore,sustainable agricultural practices in different regions should be basedon environmental, social, and economic criteria in the decision-makingprocess for the future. This study investigated the agricultural practicesin two stages: environmental stage (planting and maintaining)and economic stage (harvesting), which use shared resources. A networkDEA model was proposed for developing sustainable agriculturalpractices based on the proposed process. The development of sustainableagricultural practices in different regions presupposes the optimal allocation of water and human resources, which is realized by the improvementof irrigation methods and the quality of life of farmers. Innetwork DEA models, weight restrictions are used to determine sustainabledevelopment. The proposed model was analyzed with and withoutweight restrictions to determine the sustainable development of agriculturein Sistan and Baluchestan Province, Iran, between 2013 and 2017.On the other hand, given the important role human resources play inthe development of sustainable agricultural practices, some models weresuggested for determining the maximum required human resources foreach stage according to the obtained performance levels.