AN ECONOMIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT OF ALTERNATIVE FORAGE-RESOURCE PRODUCTION SYSTEMS - A GOAL-PROGRAMMING APPROACH

Decision making involves several criteria, something not always reflec ted in models. In this study, profitability, risk and environmental cr iteria are simultaneously used to rank alternative forage-resource pro duction systems. Experimental data for West Virginia beef cow/calf pro duction are used together with secondary price data within a binary go al-programming model. Utilizing the branch-and-bound algorithm, the op timal system under each of 21 goal and penalty weight scenarios is obt ained. An interesting, although not unexpected, result is that while t he optimal system is relatively 'parameter-insensitive' it is 'criteri a-sensitive'.