@article{Soltani:335136,
      recid = {335136},
      author = {Soltani, Hossein Ali and Khajehpour, Elham},
      title = {Optimal Cropping Pattern in Afghanistan Considering  Environmental Sustainability},
      journal = {International Journal of Agricultural Management and  Development (IJAMAD)},
      address = {2020-12-01},
      number = {1047-2023-1222},
      month = {Dec},
      year = {2020},
      abstract = {Environmental sustainability is one of the most important  considerations in planning and managing agriculture in any  country nowadays. Agriculture plays an important role in  Afghanistan's economy and employment. Herat province is  rich in agricultural production in Afghanistan. To achieve  environmental sustainability along with profitability, the  present research aimed to develop an optimal cropping  pattern for Afghanistan with environmental considerations.  The crops studied include wheat, barley, sesame, cumin, and  saffron, which accounted for more than 70 percent of the  cropping area in Herat province. The goal and linear  programming model were used to determine the optimal  cropping pattern. The goals of reducing the use of chemical  fertilizers and pesticides along with maximizing gross  margins were used in the goal model with the aim of  achieving environmental sustainability. The results of the  linear model, aimed at maximizing gross margins, showed  that in the optimal pattern of the region, the cultivated  area of sesame, barley, and saffron should be increased and  the cultivated area of wheat and cumin should be decreased  versus the status quo. In addition, the results of goal  models in different scenarios showed significant changes in  comparison to the current cropping pattern.},
      url = {http://ageconsearch.umn.edu/record/335136},
      doi = {https://doi.org/10.22004/ag.econ.335136},
}