Nowadays, the new international market demands challenge the food producing countries to include the measurement of the environmental impact generated along the production process for their products. ...In order to comply with the environmentally responsible market requests the measurement of the greenhouse gas emissions of Ecuadorian agricultural goods has been promoted employing the carbon footprint concept. Ecuador is the largest exporter of bananas in the world. Within this context, this study is a first assessment of the carbon footprint of the Ecuadorian premium export banana (Musa AAA) using a considerable amount of field data. The system boundaries considered from agricultural production to delivery in a European destination port. The data collected over three years permitted identifying the hot spot stages. For the calculation, the CCaLC V3.0 software developed by the University of Manchester is used. The carbon footprint of the Ecuadorian export banana ranged from 0.45 to 1.04kgCO2-equivalent/kg banana depending on the international overseas transport employed. The principal contributors to the carbon footprint are the on farm production and overseas transport stages. Mitigation and reduction strategies were suggested for the main emission sources in order to achieve sustainable banana production.
•The carbon footprint (CF) of Ecuadorian premium export banana is assessed.•The system boundaries considered from farm to delivery in European destination port.•CF ranged from 0.45 to 1.04kgCO2-e/kg banana depending on overseas transport used.•The main potential for CF reduction lies in overseas transport and farm stage.
The joint use of life cycle assessment and data envelopment analysis (LCA + DEA approach) for eco-efficiency assessment is a growing research area in which different environmental impacts scores can ...be used. When LCA + DEA is focused only on life cycle greenhouse gas emissions, i.e., carbon footprint (CF), the approach is called CF + DEA. In this study, we propose a new CF + DEA method for eco-efficiency assessment that uses a network DEA approach. This approach assumes that an organization contains subprocesses or stages that are interrelated through intermediate products, reflecting a more realistic situation. In this paper, we use a two-stage network structure and a corresponding network DEA model (the general networks slacks-based inefficiency model – GNSBI) for assessing the eco-efficiency of 26 Chilean beekeepers. Moreover, four scenarios are evaluated that consider different objectives from policymakers. This new CF + network DEA method provides more detailed managerial insights for operational and environmental performance, including a broad identification of inefficiency sources. In addition, an improvement plan based on the best practices identified in each process is presented. With this method, an efficient use of resources and greater CF reduction may be achieved.
•A new method for eco-efficiency assessment is proposed.•The new method uses carbon footprint and network data envelopment analysis together.•A two-stage structure and a corresponding network DEA model are used.•An agrifood system of beekeeping production is evaluated using the CF + DEA method.•The network DEA approach provides more detailed managerial insights for CF reduction.
► Potential sunflower biodiesel production in Chile has better GHG balance than diesel. ► Sunflower biodiesel could present an energy saving of 56% compared to diesel. ► N2O field emissions and ...direct LUC are key factors in the GHG balance of biodiesel. ► For energy demand, nitrogen fertilizers and the use of methanol are key factors. ► Local data are integrated into international database; making LCA more site-specific.
The production of first generation biofuels, such as sunflower-based biodiesel, is potentially an option for diversifying the energy matrix in several South American countries. However, biofuels present environmental challenges, especially concerning the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This study, using a life-cycle approach, evaluates the GHG emissions and energy balance of the future nationwide production of sunflower-based biodiesel in Chile. Direct land use change is included in the analysis. The overall findings indicate that sunflower biodiesel, under the most likely production conditions, will have better environmental performance than fossil diesel in terms of both indicators. The agricultural stage is associated to key factors such as land use change, and nitrogen fertilizers. These factors contribute significantly to GHG emissions or energy demand in the biodiesel life cycle. The sensitivity analysis shows that no GHG emission saving could occur if nitrogen fertilizers rate exceeds 330kgN/ha. In order to reduce the environmental impacts of this biofuel, improvement measures are suggested.
► Rapeseed biodiesel accounts for a 40% GHG emissions savings compared to fossil diesel. ► Biodiesel has greater impacts than fossil diesel in 7 of the 13 indicators evaluated. ► Agricultural stage ...cause the greatest impacts in biodiesel pathway. ► A production strategy involving low-impact or renewable resources should be used. ► Use of livestock manure as organic fertilizer presents the best environmental profile.
This study uses a site-specific life cycle assessment (LCA) to evaluate the environmental profile and energy and water demand of potential production options for rapeseed biodiesel in Chile. The first step is the analysis of the biodiesel supply chain in a standard scenario, associated with the most likely production conditions. The second step is the evaluation of the following alternative scenarios related to a production strategy involving low-impact or renewable resources: (1) Addition of livestock manure as organic fertilizer, (2) Use of degraded grassland, (3) Biodiesel transport by rail, and (4) Use of forest residues for industrial steam. The results show that the biodiesel in the standard scenario has less environmental impacts than fossil diesel in 4 of the 13 indicators evaluated. The rapeseed production is the stage with the highest contribution to impacts. The scenario 1 presents the best environmental profile. The scenario 2 reduces the greenhouse gas emissions of biodiesel. The scenarios 3 and 4 moderately improve the profile of the biofuel. The four situations could be implemented in the short term, but should be backed up by economic and social studies.
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•Evaluation of eco-efficiency of agricultural practices.•Use of a multiobjective DEA model to find a set of targets for each inefficient unit.•Identification of environmental and ...operational best practices.•Managerial and operational flexibility in the improvement plan.•CF reduction in order to mitigate global warming.
Reducing environmental impacts while maintaining high production levels is a challenge for environmentally sustainable agricultural production, which is more complex compared to other production systems. In this sense, it is important to measure environmental impacts and agricultural production in order to implement improvement plans. Moreover, it is relevant to add flexibility in the decision-making process for carrying out such implementations. The use of the Life Cycle Assessment + Data Envelopment Analysis (LCA + DEA) approach provides a tool to assess the eco-efficiency of units, considering environmental impacts, determining best practices and obtaining a single target for each inefficient unit. In this study, in order to add the necessary flexibility to the decision-making process, a multiobjective DEA model (MORO-D) is used, which provides a set of targets for each inefficient unit. According to their operational/managerial needs or limitations, the decision maker can choose a suitable target. This model is introduced within the four-step method for the Carbon Footprint (CF) + DEA approach, which leads to a new version of this method. We illustrated this new version assessing the eco-efficiency of organic blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum) orchards. As a way to support the decision-making process, criteria for selecting one target from the set of targets are proposed. The results and also the advantages of the new version of the four-step method over the previous one are discussed. When consulted, the producers highlighted the advantages of having multiple alternatives due to the changing market conditions and they were more predisposed to select the easiest to implement. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first multiobjective model used within the LCA + DEA approach.
The environmental impact generated by different agricultural production systems (organic, conventional, or other systems) can vary considerably even within a given one. This variability in the ...environmental impacts is due, among other factors, to the different agricultural practices used and the yield obtained. Few studies have analyzed the variability attributable to different practices within a given production system. Studies analyzing smallholder production, as is the case for raspberries in Chile, are even scarcer. Within this context, the main objective of this study is to evaluate how management practices affect environmental impacts and to identify efficient practices of smallholder raspberry production.
The methodology used in this study follows the ISO 14044 guide by taking into account a cradle-to-farm gate system boundary and focusing on 1 kg of harvested raspberries as the functional unit. A total of 35 orchards were studied. For each one, the agricultural activities included were fertilization, pest management, and plastic and pruning waste management. The evaluated impact categories were global warming potential, acidification potential, eutrophication potential, stratospheric ozone depletion potential, photo-oxidant formation potential, and human toxicity potential. The variability in each category was analyzed through statistical measures of dispersion.
Results show that fertilization was the highest contributor in four of the six environmental impact categories evaluated. Regarding the variability in environmental impacts, the categories with the highest coefficient and lowest coefficient of variation are human toxicity potential at 72% and eutrophication potential at 48%, respectively. Variability in environmental impacts is principally associated with three causes: quantity of agrochemicals used, type of agrochemicals, and orchard yield.
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•Variability in environmental impacts from 35 raspberry orchards.•Coefficient of variation is over 48% across all impact categories.•Fertilizers are the main contributor to environmental impacts.•Quantity and type of agricultural inputs cause environmental impact variability.•Variability shows skewed distributions; few orchards have the highest impact.
Nowadays, sustainability has become of increasing concern in policy and the decision making of stakeholders. Companies have been increasing their attention to their environmental performance. In ...order to measure sustainability performance, different approaches have been proposed. The joint application of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA), called LCA+DEA, is used to assess eco-efficiency, which is to produce more with less environmental impact and with fewer resources. In this manuscript, we compare two methods that implement the LCA+DEA approach, the five-step and four-step methods, focused on Carbon Footprint (CF), called CF+DEA. These methods have not been compared previously. This comparison will encompass the theoretical and practical points of view according to efficiency indices, best practices, and targets for the CF emissions. To perform this comparison, we use a case study of raspberry producers in Chile. From a practical point of view, we have observed that both methods have achieved the main objective of reducing CF. Moreover, results show similar eco-efficiency scores; the targets given by the five-step method are less demanding than those given by the four-step method. In this sense, the four-step method provides a higher average CF reduction. This is due to the inclusion of CF as an undesirable output in the DEA assessment and the use of an output-oriented DEA model. Additionally, in including the CF within the DEA assessment, the four-step method reflects better the definition of eco-efficiency. Following these results, it is advisable to implement the targets provided by the five-step method for a short term and then the targets provided by the four-step method for a mid-term or long term.
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•Comparison of the five-step and the four-step CF+DEA methods to assess eco-efficiency•Practical comparison using a case study of raspberry producers•The four-step method proposes a target with greater CF reduction.•Advisable to implement the five-step method targets in the short term•The four-step method is closer to the eco-efficiency definition.
The implementation of energy crops in Chile is an option that requires prior environmental studies within the framework of a sustainable national policy of energy security. The aim of this study is ...to assess the environmental performance of rapeseed crop (
Brassica napus L.) in Chile in view of its potential use for the production of biodiesel. Using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), the study quantifies the energy demand and the environmental impacts associated with the main tillage systems of Chilean rapeseed production on a national level: conventional tillage and zero tillage, and with four mineral fertilisation trials on a local level (combination of N, P and K rates). In the inventory, the agricultural inputs are obtained from national sources; international databases processes are partially adapted to Chilean conditions. For the impact assessment, the CML 2 baseline 2001 method is applied. The results indicate that the two tillage systems present similar energy demand and environmental impacts profile, with the exception of the categories photochemical ozone creation and freshwater aquatic ecotoxicity. In both systems, the use of mineral fertilisers has the greatest energy demand, with a contribution of over 75%, and the greatest environmental impacts. In contrast, fungicides and seeds have a minimum contribution, all together, less than 3%. The results of LCA of fertilisation trials show that higher fertilisation rates require an increase in seed yield to compensate additional impacts and to be environmentally favourable.
► Local data are integrated into international database; making LCA more site-specific. ► Conventional and zero tillage present similar energy demand and environmental impacts. ► Fertilisers cause the highest energy demand and the greatest impacts in both tillages. ► Higher fertilisation rates require a yield increase to compensate additional impacts.
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