Evaluating agricultural sustainability in Newfoundland, Canada: insights from a data envelopment analysis approach

Abstract This study assesses the sustainability of agricultural practices in Western Newfoundland by evaluating the technical, allocative, cost, scale, and environmental efficiencies of 15 local farms using data envelopment analysis. The findings reveal that while most farms demonstrated high technical efficiency (average score: 95%), notable inefficiencies persist in the allocative, cost, and environmental efficiency dimensions. Key issues include labor inefficiency, chemical fertilizer overuse, and suboptimal farm scale, whereas effective land management and quality seed use were identified as major drivers of productivity. A detailed case study highlights a farm achieving full efficiency across all metrics through sustainable practices such as no-dig methods, permaculture, rainwater harvesting, and composting, demonstrating how regenerative strategies can enhance both economic and ecological performance. The study also uses stepwise regression to identify education, farm experience, and farm type as significant factors influencing efficiency outcomes. These results underscore the potential for targeted interventions, technology adoption, and policy support to improve farm performance and advance sustainable agriculture in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. By integrating multidimensional efficiency metrics, this research provides actionable insights for optimizing resource use, reducing environmental impact, and strengthening the resilience of regional agrifood systems.