Crop rotation represents a potentially sustainable strategy to address environmental problems of intensive agricultural practices, such as soil degradation, biodiversity reduction, and greenhouse gas ...emissions. This manuscript assesses the environmental and economic implications of introducing lupin cultivation into winter wheat-based rotation systems under an organic regime in Galicia, Spain. Life Cycle Assessment methodology was used to determine the environmental impacts of three rotation systems over a six-year period: lupin → wheat → rapeseed (OA1), lupin → potato → wheat (OA2), and lupin → wheat → rapeseed ‖ maize (OA3). For a robust assessment, three functional units were applied: land management (ha), economic indicator (gross margin in euros) and protein content (1 kg of protein-corrected grain). Moreover, the environmental profiles were compared with rotation systems without lupin crop in a conventional regime. In terms of Global Warming, impacts of about 2214, 3119 and 766 kg CO2eq·ha−1 were obtained for OA1, OA2 and OA3, respectively. Moreover, OA1 is the best rotation in terms of land and protein. Meanwhile, OA2 rotation is the best choice in the economic function, as it obtained the highest level of gross margin (5708 €·ha−1). Furthermore, with the exception of acidification, organic systems are less impactful than conventional systems. Ammonia emissions from the use of manure are the reason for these higher impacts. Organic rotations OA1 and OA2 have about 6 % or 15 % less gross margin than their conventional counterparts, respectively, however, an increase of 28 % was obtained for rotation OA3. This study helps decision-makers to implement environmentally and economically viable strategies.
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•Environmental and economic performance of lupin in three wheat-based rotations•Three functional units were used: land management, gross margin and protein-content.•Lupin-wheat-rapeseed is the best rotation based on land and economic functions.•Organic rotations only have a gross margin 6 % to 15 % lower than conventional ones.•Except for acidification, organic systems are less impactful than conventional ones.
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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.
Crop diversification, as a sustainable land management practice, is a potential strategy to face soil degradation, climate change and food security, being the incorporation of legumes in cereal ...rotation systems, a strategy that improves soil nutrient levels. In a context of sustainable agriculture, this manuscript aims to evaluate the effect of lupin cultivation from an environmental and economic perspective in Galician winter wheat-based rotation systems. The life cycle analysis (LCA) methodology was applied for three rotation systems over a six-year period: lupin + wheat + oilseed rape (RA1), lupin + potato + wheat (RA2), and lupin + wheat + oilseed rape + maize (RA3). The general approach of this study was to collect primary data associated with the rotation crops to quantify their environmental impacts and economic benefits and to identify their advantages or disadvantages. Comparing and contrasting the environmental profiles based on three functional units: hectare land (ha), financial indicator (gross margin, €) and yield production (kg of wheat grain) allows a robust evaluation of each crop rotation system. Relating to rotations without lupin, the results indicate that for the impact categories evaluated, the introduction of lupin proved to be favourable with notable reductions of 64% and 30% in the environmental categories of Global Warming and Marine Eutrophication, respectively. Moreover, favourable economic consequences were evident in rotations RA1 and RA2 with a 19% and 51% increase in financial indicators, respectively, but with a marginal reduction of 2% in gross margin in RA3. This study motivates stakeholders to understand the environmental impacts of diversification strategies in agricultural systems and serves as a baseline to address the assessment of the social aspects of these systems for a complete sustainability perspective.
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•The introduction of lupin is, in general, an environmentally friendly strategy.•Two rotation systems are suggested based on land management and economic prospects.•Field emissions, from fertilizers and pesticides application, are the main hotspot•LCA methodology allows identifying eco-efficient crop rotation systems.•Soil carbon storage plays a relevant role in the global warming category.
Purpose
Bees are essential to maintain the agriculture sector and provide not only pollination services, but also bee products. Honey is one of the most recognized products obtained from bees. In ...this sector, little attention has been paid to their environmental and economic performance, and their integration into the eco-efficiency concept. Consequently, this study analyzes the eco-efficiency level of honey production systems, identifying key resources to improve economic performance and reduce environmental impacts.
Methods
Eco-efficiency is assessed by means of an indicator approach defined as the ratio between environmental and economic performance. The environmental one is measured by using the life cycle assessment (LCA), while the economic one is measured through profits, combining the life cycle cost (LCC) and income. The dataset corresponds to a sample of Chilean beekeepers considering a cradle-to-gate approach. The functional unit is 1 kg of honey produced. The productive factors covered are feeds, medicines, diesel, electricity, and disposable inputs. The LCA is carried out by using the software OpenLCA, and the ReCiPe midpoint method, while background data are obtained from the Ecoinvent v3.8 database. The economic data are analyzed using MS Excel
®
.
Results and discussion
Feeds are identified as the main contributor to the environmental and economic impacts, mainly due to sugar rations, i.e., a mix of sugar and water. In addition, most of the beekeepers used a higher amount of sugar for preparing these rations, compared with the quantity recommended in the literature. Diesel is another important source of environmental and economic impacts for beekeepers, mainly consumed for hive visits. Thus, reducing the frequency of visits or locating hives closer to beekeepers would improve their eco-efficiency performance. Concerning medicines, oxalic acid is the main contributor to environmental impacts, while amitraz is the main responsible in terms of costs, due to the higher dose applied compared with the literature. The environmental and economic impacts of electricity and disposable inputs are negligible.
Conclusions
Feeds, medicines and diesel are the main contributors to the environmental and economic performance of the set of beekeepers analyzed, mainly due to the high amount consumed. Thus, focusing on these factors, beekeepers could improve their eco-efficiency performance by reducing both environmental impacts and cost, while increasing profit.
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 transition towards a more environmentally friendly economy can be facilitated through the bioeconomy, which relies on the use of biological resources, processes and methods to provide goods and ...services. However, bio-based value chains are not inherently sustainable and require careful monitoring and assessment of their impacts across all dimensions of sustainability (environmental, economic and social). Quantifying and understanding these impacts require the use of robust frameworks and methodological approaches that are currently lacking, which could be considered a gap in achieving a more sustainable bioeconomy. In this context, the objective of this research report is to fill this gap by identifying and selecting the most appropriate environmental, social and economic indicators within the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology to ensure a comprehensive assessment of environmental and socio-economic constraints and an effective analysis of bio-based value chains at all stages of the life cycle, from raw material extraction to end-of-life management. A total of 17, 26 and 101 indicators were identified for the environmental, economic and social pillars, respectively. In addition, existing gaps were highlighted, and a future framework was outlined to refine and enrich the currently available indicators and the underlying methodology.
The indicators provided constitute a building block for effectively exploring and assessing the sustainability of bio-based value chains by a wide range of stakeholders (e.g., policy makers, entrepreneurs, certification bodies) to facilitate informed decision-making, pave the way for balanced economic growth, improve social welfare and environmental protection, and overall promote more sustainable and resilient bio-based value chains.
The livestock sector plays an essential role in anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions, where fodder crop production has been largely identified as the main contributor to their environmental impact. ...This research evaluates the attributional environmental impacts of introducing food industry subproducts such as apple and olive pomaces to reduce the proportion of maize grain in the formulation of diets for fattening pigs, according to four alternatives, including the current diet with 69% maize. For this, the life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology has been used to determine the hotspots associated to these changes, considering a cradle-to-gate approach and two functional units: 1 kg of feed diet (FU1) and 1 kg of weight gain (FU2). Furthermore, the potential environmental consequences of using these subproducts for pig diet have also been considered with a consequential LCA methodology. The results show that the best diet was the one containing about 33% maize and 43% subproducts for all categories analysed. In addition, the allocation method used to assign subproduct loads, including mass, economic, and zero-burdens allocation, is crucial to validate the assumptions and recommendations for this strategy. The consequential LCA results suggest that this strategy could involve both positive and negative impacts (considered as environmental credits), depending on the substitutes for the avoided maize stover and the potential displaced bioproducts that could be obtained from these subproducts, mainly for bioenergy production.
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•Attributional and consequential environmental impacts of pig diets were estimated.•A 31% reduction in water consumption can be achieved compared to the current diet.•Consequential impacts are related to land use emissions and displaced products.•The consequences of using subproducts in feed instead of bioproducts were analysed.•The allocation method selected is crucial to recommend this feeding alternative.
In a climate crisis, searching for renewable energy sources is urgent and mandatory to achieve a low-carbon society. The food industry is an attractive source for providing different organic waste ...with great potential for energy generation, avoiding the environmental impacts of its inadequate management at the disposal stage. This manuscript determines the feasibility of using three agro-industrial byproducts for biogas production with a mesophilic anaerobic digestion process. Three mixture samples such as tomato pulp with olive cake (TP-OC), apple pomace with olive cake (AP-OC), and tomato pulp with apple pomace (TP-AP) at a 1:1 w/w ratio were evaluated using bovine manure as inoculum. During 7 to 12 days of operation, results indicate that TP-OC achieved the highest biogas production yield with 1096 mL/L (with up to 70% methane), followed by AP-OC and TP-AP with 885 (62% methane) and 574 mL/L (69% methane), respectively. Experimentally, TP-OC consistently encompassed the highest biogas and methane production and fit the kinetic models, whereas the modified Gompertz model produced the best fit (R2 = 99.7%). This manuscript supports the preference for mixing byproducts from the agro-industrial sector rather than using them individually for biogas production.
The depletion of fossil resources and the climate change crisis call for an urgent shift to production pathways based on renewable and low-carbon sources. In addition, plastic pollution worldwide ...motivates the identification of new sources for their bio-based counterparts, which have an increasing demand. This research aims to evaluate the environmental feasibility of different cereal-based feedstocks for the production of poly(butylene succinate) (PBS), which is obtained from the polymerisation of succinic acid (SA) and 1,4 butanediol (BDO) monomers. The baseline scenario analysed corresponds to the use of wheat straw as a source of the fermentable sugars. Furthermore, five other cereal-based production routes combining first-generation (1G) feedstocks such as wheat and maize grain, and second-generation (2G) feedstocks, such as sorghum, barley straw, and maize stover, combined with wheat straw, were evaluated. The Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology was used to identify the main hotspots of these valorisation routes at the early stage of the biorefinery design, considering all the burden categories provided by the ReCiPe impact method. The results showed that the straw-based PBS profile reached a Global Warming Potential of 3.43 kg CO2eq, whereas a range value from 2.34 to 7.27 kg CO2eq was estimated when wheat straw is combined with sorghum and barley straw, respectively. The pre-treatment stage represents a substantial impact on the strategy considered to produce fermentable sugars, particularly, for barley straw. Therefore, improvements are still required to reduce the energy demand and increase the sugar yield.
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•Cereal-based polybutylene succinate (PBS) was assessed with a life cycle approach.•The single use of wheat straw for PBS production reached about 3.43 kg CO2eq.•Combining sorghum and wheat straw was the best alternative in almost all categories.•In general, first-generation cereals with straw reached the highest burdens of PBS.•Pre-treatment method used is crucial for the environmental viability of a bio-PBS.
