Article

 

MEASURING ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE: THE CASE OF AGRICULTURAL POLLUTION IN ROMANIA 
 
by
 
Toma Luiza , Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Chania
Xepapadeas Anastasios , University of Crete
 
JEL classification : D620, O130
 
Abstract
Production processes generate two major types of outputs: desirable, which is strongly disposable, and undesirable, which is weakly disposable. Undesirable outputs are the pollutants associated with agricultural or industrial emissions. Their reduction can only be obtained through environmental regulation at a cost. If the production process generates significant pollution, the relevant efficiency measures that are estimated should allow for the asymmetric treatment of desirable and undesirable outputs. These measures reflect the performance of productive sectors in pollution abatement, in the sense of securing the minimum possible production of pollutants for given production of desirable output, or input use. Measurement of environmental performance has obvious significance for policy purposes. This article measures environmental performance in selected agricultural sectors in Romania, since agricultural activities are a major source of pollution especially, of the nonpoint source type.