@article{Curtiss:103410,
      recid = {103410},
      author = {Curtiss, Jarmila and Jelinek, Ladislav},
      title = {Energy Efficiency and Shadow Costs of Energy Saving in  Conventional Agricultural Production: The Case of Czech  Wheat Production},
      address = {2011-05-01},
      number = {321-2016-11004},
      series = {Poster},
      pages = {1},
      month = {May},
      year = {2011},
      abstract = {Increasing worldwide energy demand and diminishing  supplies of fossil fuels
have necessitated the development  and increasing use of new sustainable energy sources, as  well as more parsimonious energy use. In the context  of
agriculture, research has focused predominantly on the  production of bio-energy, while only a limited number of  studies have investigated the energy use and possible  energy saving in conventional agricultural production. In  response to this lack in empirical research this study aims  (i) to measure the farm-level energy and cost efficiency of  conventional agricultural (wheat) production, (ii) to  identify the potential for energy saving in  conventional
agriculture and quantify its shadow cost,  (iii) to identify production technologies and managerial  practices that reduce total energy use. We adjusted the  method by Coelli, Lauwers, Van Huylenbroeck (2007)  introducing analogy
between cost and nutrient minimization  to measure energy use reduction potential and its costs.  The analysis was carried out on survey data for 95
farms  for production year 2007/08. Energy coefficients for  individual non-renewable inputs were derived from the  PLANETE methodology (Méthode Pour L'Analyse EnergéTique de  l'Exploitation) developed by SOLAGRO. We applied data  envelopment analysis to estimate energy and cost optima and  efficiencies, and truncated regression to identify  statistically significant determinants of energy  efficiency. We found significant differences in energy  consumption per
unit of wheat production among Czech farms  - best producers consume 46% less energy per unit of  production than average producers, however, from that ca.  30% is due to variation in production conditions. Marked  share of energy inefficiency (over 50% of potential energy  savings) originates in technical efficiency, which offers  simultaneous cost savings. Producing wheat in energy  optimum would increase costs by 9% when compared to cost  optimum. The largest potential of energy savings was found  in fuel, and fertilizers and other chemicals. Regression  analysis implies that use of more fuel-efficient
machinery  or machinery with other energy-saving technical parameters  (e.g., higher utility weight) and optimizing material  transport could increase energy efficiency, while some  commonly applied technological practices (such  as
conventional soil preparation) have a negative energy  efficiency effects.},
      url = {http://ageconsearch.umn.edu/record/103410},
      doi = {https://doi.org/10.22004/ag.econ.103410},
}