Assessing economic and environmental efficiency of rice production systems in Southern Thailand [Elektronische Ressource] : an application of data envelopment analysis / submitted by Sirirat Kiatpathomchai

Faculty 09 Agricultural Sciences, Nutritional Sciences and Environmental Management Institute of Agricultural Policy and Market Research Assessing Economic and Environmental Efficiency of Rice Production Systems in Southern Thailand: An Application of Data Envelopment Analysis Dissertation Submitted for the degree of Doktor des Agrarwissenschaften (Dr. agr.) Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Nutritional Sciences and Environmental Management Submitted by Sirirat Kiatpathomchai September 2008 This thesis was accepted as a doctoral dissertation in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doktor des Agrarwissenschaften (Dr. agr.) by Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Nutritional Sciences and Environmental Management, Justus-Liebig University Giessen. Examination committee Chairperson: Prof. Dr. Ernst-August Nuppenau st1 Supervisor: Prof. Dr. P. Michael Schmitz nd2 Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Siegfried Bauer Examiner: Prof. Dr. Hermann Boland Examiner: Prof. Dr. Ingrid-Ute Leonhaeuser Abstract Rice farming is a dominant rural economic as well as culturally important activity in southern Thailand. Rice production in this region is constrained by bio-physical and economic factors especially high costs of production and high application rates of chemical fertilizers.