Technical Efficiency of Organic and Conventional Rice Farming in Central Vietnam: A Meta-frontier DEA Analysis

This study evaluates the technical efficiency (TE) of organic and conventional rice farming systems in Thua Thien Hue Province, Vietnam, using Meta-frontier Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA). Based on data from 111 conventional and 74 organic rice farms, the results show that conventional farming operates closer to the meta-frontier. TE in conventional farms (88.8%-90.6%) slightly exceeds that of organic farms (87.0%–88.8%), indicating modest input-saving potential for both systems. A Bootstrapped truncated regression reveals that a higher number of plots enhances efficiency through risk diversification, while higher rice price and organic-related complexities negatively influence TE. These findings highlight the need for targeted interventions to improve resource use in organic farming, thereby balancing sustainability with productivity goals. Keywords: Organic rice, conventional rice, DEA, technical efficiency, Thua Thien Hue.