This paper presents an environmental management method, focusing on environmental efficiency for agro-industry. The main idea is to perform a joint analysis of the ecological, economical and social aspects related to agro-industrial activities. The result of the analysis is a measurement of environmental efficiency, on a numerical scale. The lower values, encompassing 70% of the scale range, classify the low environmental efficiency activities. The values taking the upper 10% reveal the high efficiency ones. A case study focusing on the Brazilian alcohol production, including the agricultural and industrial phases, is presented. The study emphasizes the impact on the soil, water and air. Moreover, it also deals with the social and economic aspects related to the level of employment and productivity. According to the assumptions adopted, none of the three agro-industries analyzed achieved the highest environmental efficiency level established. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.253287299