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Abstract
This paper assesses the efficiency and performance of organic alfalfa farms. Data were obtained
from questionnaires collected from forty farms participating in an EU-subsidized program
promoting the switch to organic farming. Results obtained using the bootstrap Data Envelopment
Analysis methodology show that larger farms had lower yields and lower efficiency scores
and more experienced farmers had higher efficiency scores. A Tobit analysis of the impact
of environmental factors and subsidies on farm efficiency demonstrates that CAP subsidies
cause perverse incentives, raising questions about the efficiency of such policies for sustainable
agricultural development.