Assessing inputs’ use efficiency of durum wheat cultivation

Barilla · Durum wheat

A commissioned study assessing how efficiently durum wheat growers use their inputs, on data from the Agricultural Decision Support System jointly developed by Barilla and HORTA and used by farms in Greece and Italy.

Project at a glance

Programme: Contract research
Project code: ELKE-UTH 6679
Duration: January 2021 – December 2022
Total cost: Not publicly available
Funder: Barilla Hellas
Coordinator: Agricultural Economics and Consumer Behaviour Lab, University of Thessaly
Role of the Lab: Contractor — efficiency analysis and reporting

About the project

Using Data Envelopment Analysis on 563 farms across four agricultural firms — two Greek and two Italian — the study combined economic performance (variable costs) with environmental indicators such as carbon, water and overall environmental footprint, and compared results at regional and national level between the two countries. The findings identify the most efficient growers and the practices that set them apart, providing Barilla with evidence for targeted advice through its decision-support system.

Publications and outputs

Kyrgiakos L.S., Kleftodimos G., Kremantzis M.D., Vlontzos G., Pardalos P.M. (2023). Assessing efficiency differences in a common Agriculture Decision Support System: A comparative analysis between Greek and Italian durum wheat farms. International Journal on Food System Dynamics, 14(1), 22–45. doi:10.18461/ijfsd.v14i1.E2

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