Journal of Agricultural Economics & Development

Abstract We have strived to present a fresh definition of the water-energy-food-environment-decision makers (WEFED) nexus through the creation of a comprehensive and interconnected system. In this study, we considered criteria for consumption, mass productivity, and economic productivity related to irrigation water, renewable and non-renewable energy, as well as the criteria of fertilizer and pesticide use, CO₂ emissions, and wetland conservation to elucidate the water-energy-food-environment (WEFE) nexus. We then assessed the impact of decision-makers’ perspectives on the nexus criteria under seven different management scenarios: water consumption management (WCM), energy consumption management (ECM), water economic management (WEM), energy economic management (EEM), environmental management (ENM), management with equal weight given to criteria (WEFE), and management with weight based on the opinions of decision makers in the study area (WEFED), employing TOPSIS method. To explicitly integrate decision-makers’ perspectives into this system (the WEFED approach), the weights assigned to each sustainability criterion in one scenario were determined directly based on a survey of local decision-makers using the Fuzzy Analytical Hierarchical Process (FAHP) method. The study findings revealed that in the WCM, ECM, and ENM scenarios, barley cultivation held the highest priority, yet despite improvements in environmental parameters, a decrease in water and energy economic productivity was observed compared to the current pattern. Conversely, in the WEM and EEM scenarios, tomato cultivation took precedence, and despite the deterioration of environmental conditions, enhanced mass and economic water and energy productivity were demonstrated compared to the current pattern. The discrepancy in results among the various sustainable scenario patterns underscored the substantial impact of decision-makers’ perspectives on sustainable agricultural management. Finally, it was determined that the WEFE scenario returned the greatest number of improvements (11 out of 13 criteria) in sustainable management criteria compared to the current pattern. Therefore, the findings revealed that a holistic, equally-weighted nexus approach (WEFE), while increasing water consumption, delivers the most balanced sustainability outcomes, though its implementation must be coupled with robust water governance.

Abstract This study examined the correlation between economic growth and the impact on the environment, specifically focusing on the concept of environmental sustainability. The World Bank's Adjusted Net Savings (ANS) data is utilized in this study to gauge the strain on the environment, specifically through the measurement of natural disinvestment. This measurement encompasses the cumulative effects of carbon dioxide (CO₂) damage, as well as depletions in minerals, energy, and forest resources. This study uses panel data with respect to the endogeneity of explanatory variables to estimate the real effect of per capita income and the other variables on environmental pressure. In this regard, employing the panel Fixed-Effects Instrumental Variable (IV) methodology, the data from 213 countries have been used in the period from 1990 to 2018. Through regression analysis, it has been discovered that there is a direct correlation between income and the impact on the environment in developing nations. However, this relationship is notably more pronounced in low-income countries compared to high-income countries. Additionally, the study reveals that trade expansion contributes to an increase in environmental pressure across all groups of countries. An increase in the school enrolment rate can affect the environment in developed and high-income developing countries. Moreover, the variable effect of capital openness on environmental pressure was estimated to be positive for developed and high-income countries. However, this effect was found to be negative for low-income countries. Finally, the result showed that developing countries should improve their legal structure and also reduce the bureaucracy and complexity of the laws.