Optimizing Farm Business Planning with Multiple Objective Goal Programming

The proposed project entails the intern working with Mark Betteridge & Associates to develop an innovative business plan for the company's recently acquired farm near Comox, British Columbia. The business plan will emphasize the development of a set of business activities which utilize highly innovative technologies, are economically sound, result in a low environmental and carbon footprint and fit well into the surrounding community. Over the four month internship, the intern will collect detailed information relevant for the farm in order to calibrate a multiple objective goal programming model. The model will allow the farm to achieve an optimized balance between profitability, sustainability and community integration subject to various technical, financial and environmental constraints. The intern's research will form the basis for his M.Sc. (Agricultural Economics) thesis at UBC. The partner will obtain a set of specific recommendations regarding the types of crops to produce and the specific reasons why the proposed crop mix was recommended.

Faculty Supervisor:

Dr. Jim Vercammen

Student:

Jinbin Yang

Partner:

Mark Betteridge & Associates Inc.

Discipline:

Food science

Sector:

Agriculture

University:

University of British Columbia