Version 1
: Received: 22 April 2024 / Approved: 23 April 2024 / Online: 24 April 2024 (03:43:17 CEST)
How to cite:
Al-Ansari, M.A.; Nabeel, H.; Abdella, G.M.; El Mekkawy, T.; Kutty, A.A. A Non-parametric Approach-based Trade-off between Food System Efficiency and Robustness. Preprints2024, 2024041564. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202404.1564.v1
Al-Ansari, M.A.; Nabeel, H.; Abdella, G.M.; El Mekkawy, T.; Kutty, A.A. A Non-parametric Approach-based Trade-off between Food System Efficiency and Robustness. Preprints 2024, 2024041564. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202404.1564.v1
Al-Ansari, M.A.; Nabeel, H.; Abdella, G.M.; El Mekkawy, T.; Kutty, A.A. A Non-parametric Approach-based Trade-off between Food System Efficiency and Robustness. Preprints2024, 2024041564. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202404.1564.v1
APA Style
Al-Ansari, M.A., Nabeel, H., Abdella, G.M., El Mekkawy, T., & Kutty, A.A. (2024). A Non-parametric Approach-based Trade-off between Food System Efficiency and Robustness. Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202404.1564.v1
Chicago/Turabian Style
Al-Ansari, M.A., Tarek El Mekkawy and Adeeb A. Kutty. 2024 "A Non-parametric Approach-based Trade-off between Food System Efficiency and Robustness" Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202404.1564.v1
Abstract
Balancing the efficiency and robustness of food systems is a well-known trade-off process. Over-optimization of efficiency may lead to excessive use of resources. On the other hand, under-optimization of efficiency may lead to excessive waste of resources. Using non-parametric methods can help in developing actionable frameworks through which decision-makers and stakeholders can effectively balance and improve food systems' efficiency and robustness. Under this context, this paper presents a new structured approach integrating two well-suited non-parametric methods for analyzing and balancing the interconnection between the efficiency and robustness of food systems. This approach consists of three main steps. First, the slacks-based data envelopment analysis (SBM-DEA) is utilized to analyze the efficiency of five food robustness dimensions. Second, the weighted efficiency of these dimensions is computed and analyzed to provide an insight into their influence on the food system efficiency. Finally, two search methods were developed to identify opportunities for improving efficiency and robustness. The outcomes of these methods have been analyzed and validated to ensure their effectiveness and viability. The operational and mathematical properties of the proposed approach were evaluated using data from thirty-seven food-producing countries. The weights of the robustness dimensions in this study were determined using the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) method. The input matrix of the AHP was constructed using expert judgment and consultations with stakeholders. The results of this study have shown an appropriate level of applicability and effectiveness of the proposed approach. While the first search method provided valuable insights, the second method proved to be more effective in identifying the sources of inefficacy of robustness dimensions. Several conclusions have been drawn and reported with some recommendations for future research works.
Keywords
Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA); Food Systems Robustness; Food Security; Slacks Based Measure (SBM); Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP)
Subject
Engineering, Other
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
