Watermelon productionwas selected as a case study to evaluate the pros and cons of suggested approaches. Both MOGA + LCA and DEA + LCA can be used in other production systems where there are concerns about efficient use of resources. Application of MOGA+LCA requires developing production functions. It can be performed using information recorded fromone DMU (farm or other production unit) for several years or using information from DMUs in a specific region.
To obtain trustable and valuable results, it is highly recommended to consider several objectives simultaneously. Economic issues (benefit cost ratio), environmental impacts, input/output energy, etc. are some of the most important factors that can be considered in the MOGA + LCA approach.