# Sampling design and estimation procedure for energy audit and carbon footprints for onion crop in India

## TL;DR

This paper outlines a sampling design and energy audit methodology for assessing energy use and carbon footprints in onion farming in India.

## Contribution

The study introduces a detailed sampling methodology and non-parametric DEA approach to estimate energy efficiency in onion crop production.

## Key findings

- 7% of farm households were identified as efficiently using energy, with inefficient ones having an average technical efficiency of 0.77.
- A potential 23% resource saving is possible without reducing yields, indicating significant energy efficiency improvements.
- CO2 emissions from crop production emphasize the need for policies promoting renewable energy in agriculture.

## Abstract

Agriculture significantly contributes to greenhouse gas emissions, necessitating swift policy action to mitigate its environmental impact, aligning with UN sustainable development Goals (SDGs). Assessing energy usage and targeting energy-intensive operations are key to effective energy management that enables farmers to implement strategies, reducing costs and carbon footprint. Implementing energy audits in agriculture requires a proper sampling methodology to identify energy-intensive operations and explore renewable energy sources. Therefore, the study presents a detailed sampling design and methodology for estimating energy usage in agricultural crops. It outlines sample size determination, allocation across strata, selection and parameter estimation procedures. Non-parametric data envelopment analysis (DEA) identified 7% of farm households as efficiently using energy, with an average technical efficiency of 0.77 for inefficient ones, suggesting a potential 23% resource saving without yield reduction. Additionally, CO2 emissions per crop production process highlight the urgency of policy formulation to promote renewable energy sources.