Examining the changes and convergence of economic-environmental productivity of the agricultural sector in selected countries of the MENA region

Factor productivity analysis is a useful management tool at any economic level, and due to the environmental effects of economic activities and costs, not paying attention to these effects in evaluating economic performance leads to results. It goes away from reality. In this regard, one of the important aspects in the issue of productivity is to study the differences in productivity of countries, analyze the trend and their convergence. Accordingly, the purpose of this study is to investigate the changes in environmental productivity growth of selected countries in the Mena region and the existence of convergence between them in the period 2009-2020 using Fare-Primont index and root test of Pesaran panel unit. According to the results of the Environmental Productivity Index, Tunisia, Yemen, Morocco, Libya, Qatar, Iran, Jordan, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia have grown in the study period. Comparison of the results of normal and environmental productivity index shows that in terms of unfavorable output, the productivity index of all countries studied has decreased. Based on the results, the agricultural productivity of the studied countries is convergent. Therefore, structural changes in the agriculture of the countries of the Mena region and changes in the productivity of the factors of production of each of them will affect the productivity and growth of the agricultural sector of these countries.