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Life Cycle Assessment Approach for Evaluating Sustainable Agroecosystem

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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Agriculture".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (19 January 2023) | Viewed by 12339

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Ramjee Ghimire

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Guest Editor

Department of Animal Science, College of Agriculture & Natural Resources, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
Interests: sustainable development; factors pulling and pushing sustainable development; assessment of competency; education–research–extension linkages

Dr. Lila Kumar Khatiwada

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Pulte Institute, Keough School of Global Affairs, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556, USA
Interests: agriculutre and food security; poverty; resiliency; gender

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

It is our pleasure to announce a new Special Issue “Life Cycle Assessment approach for evaluating sustainable agroecosystem “of the journal Sustainability.

Introduction and Objectives: With the rise in world population, which is estimated to reach 9 billion in 2050, the world will need 60% more food than the current production. On the contrary, with an increase in human encroachment to settle growing population, agricultural land area is shrinking. Additionally, the overarching issues of environmental challenges have confronted the production systems due to various factors such as, global climate changes, variations in the availability of water, intensification, and expansion of land use. Other adverse impacts include threats to current crop protection strategies, primarily due to pest infestations, and stresses on crop-water and crop-nutrient demand. Further, the service of agricultural land is for fulfilling the multiple demand of food, feed, and fuel. These collectively warrant improving and sustaining the agricultural production and productivity. Further, increasingly, consumers are also skeptical on the environmental footprints of the products they consume. These necessitate on the holistic evaluation of agroecology for the provided ecosystem services. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) framework is thus one of the increasingly adopted methodology to evaluate the various production systems/processes. With the use of LCA methodology, the process of accounting environmental and economic footprints of a product system has been simplified to a greater extent.

LCA framework allows a thorough examination of the environmental effects of the entire production chain for a wide variety of applications and is equally applicable in evaluating different components of agroecosystem. Better understanding of LCA, including its concepts, evolution, process, use in agriculture and its subsystems to nurture sustainability and challenges are in need. This special issue aims to discuss LCA focusing on: its scientific background highlighting its concepts, and evolution of concepts/theories in agriculture and its application in the allied fields; retrospective and prospective evaluation of agriculture system to determine means of ensuring sustainable agricultural development, including improving global food security.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but not limited to) the following:

Retrospective and prospective evaluation of environmental footprints of agriculture system
Use and comparison of LCA of different agricultural and livestock value chains
Challenges in the use of LCA in agriculture and livestock value chains
Critical points along LCA and ways and means to identify and strengthen them
Adoption of LCA and its challenges in agriculture and livestock value chains

Dr. Ramjee Ghimire
Dr. Lila Kumar Khatiwada
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

sustainable agriculture
environmental impact
environmental footprints
life cycle inventory modeling
life cycle impact assessment

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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23 pages, 8273 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Do Carbon Footprint Estimates Depend on the LCA Modelling Approach Adopted? A Case Study of Bread Wheat Grown in a Crop-Rotation System

by Sara González-García, Fernando Almeida and Miguel Brandão

Sustainability 2023, 15(6), 4941; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15064941 - 10 Mar 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1526

Abstract

This study aims to assess the impact of global warming on winter wheat cultivation under different rotation systems with potato, maize or oilseed rape over a six-year period in the region of Galicia, Spain, to identify the rotation system most favorable from a climate change perspective. An attributional life cycle assessment (ALCA) with economic allocation (retrospective assessment of impacts) and a consequential life cycle assessment (CLCA) with system expansion (impacts of a change) were performed to identify discrepancies and differences in the results in this impact category and thus in the decision supported by the farmers, whose main goal is to produce wheat grain for bread purposes with the lowest carbon footprint. The global warming results modelled with ALCA and CLCA can be contradictory. In general, the climate change impact was considerably higher when modelled with CLCA than with ALCA. Farming activities were consistently identified as hotspots when using both CLCA and ALCA, but other hotspots differed in terms of their contributions. Concerning the ranking of cropping systems that produce grain with the lowest greenhouse gases emission levels, contradictory results were identified in some cases between the LCA modelling approaches. Nevertheless, the cultivation of native winter wheat under ecological management is always the preferred choice, regardless of the approach. However, wheat rotation with potato is preferrable in the ALCA, and with maize in the CLCA. The assumptions required to perform a CLCA have a large impact on results. The allocation of burdens between the co-products in the ALCA involves a level of uncertainty since discrepancies arise with the selection of the allocation procedure. Thus, the assumptions made affect the results considerably and have a direct effect on the final conclusions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Life Cycle Assessment Approach for Evaluating Sustainable Agroecosystem)

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15 pages, 3110 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Lifecycle Assessment of Meat Processing Products Made from Protein-Based Thermoplastics

by Casparus J. R. Verbeek, De Wet Van der Merwe and James M. Bier

Sustainability 2023, 15(4), 3455; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15043455 - 14 Feb 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1748

Abstract

Hygiene during slaughtering is paramount for meat processors and plugs are often used during slaughtering to reduce contamination from fecal matter. These products are rendered along with other waste and are considered a serious contaminant to rendering products. A life cycle assessment (LCA) was used to determine and compare the environmental impacts of plugs made from polypropylene to a protein-based thermoplastic (Novatein). For Novatein plugs, resin production dominated the non-renewable primary energy (NRPE) use and global warming potential (GWP), whereas the impacts from injection molding and packaging dominated downstream production. Novatein plugs had a higher GWP than the PP plug, but required less NRPE. Two important conclusions were drawn: a bio-based material does not necessarily present an overall reduced environmental impact in comparison to other products, and results can easily be skewed based on allocation methods used for impacts from upstream processes, especially considering waste products. However, not evident from this LCA is the advantage that Novatein breaks down during rendering, safely becoming part of part of the rendering products. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Life Cycle Assessment Approach for Evaluating Sustainable Agroecosystem)

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21 pages, 1524 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Assessment of Struvite as an Alternative Sources of Fertilizer-Phosphorus for Flood-Irrigated Rice

by Kristofor R. Brye, Niyi S. Omidire, Leah English, Ranjan Parajuli, Laszlo Kekedy-Nagy, Ruhi Sultana, Jennie Popp, Greg Thoma, Trenton L. Roberts and Lauren F. Greenlee

Sustainability 2022, 14(15), 9621; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14159621 - 04 Aug 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2533

Abstract

Phosphorus (P) recovery from wastewaters as struvite (MgNH₄PO₄·6H₂O) may be a viable alternative fertilizer-P source for agriculture. The objective of this study was to evaluate the economic and environmental implications of struvite as a fertilizer-P source for flood-irrigated rice (Oryza sativa) relative to other commonly used commercially available fertilizer-P sources. A field study was conducted in 2019 and 2020 to evaluate the effects of wastewater-recovered struvite (chemically precipitated struvite (CPST) and electrochemically precipitated struvite (ECST)) on rice yield response in a P-deficient, silt–loam soil in eastern Arkansas relative to triple superphosphate, monoammonium and diammonium phosphate, and rock phosphate. A life cycle assessment methodology was used to estimate the global warming potentials associated with rice produced with the various fertilizer-P sources. Life cycle inventory data were based on the field trials conducted with and without struvite application for both years. A partial budget analysis showed that, across both years, net revenues for ECST and CPST were 1.4 to 26.8% lower than those associated with the other fertilizer-P sources. The estimated greenhouse gas emissions varied between 0.58 and 0.70 kg CO₂ eq kg rice⁻¹ from CPST and between 0.56 and 0.81 kg CO₂ eq kg rice⁻¹ from ECST in 2019 and 2020, respectively, which were numerically similar to those for the other fertilizer-P sources in 2019 and 2020. The similar rice responses compared to commercially available fertilizer-P sources suggest that wastewater-recovered struvite materials might be an alternative fertilizer-P-source option for flood-irrigated rice production if struvite can become price-competitive to other fertilizer-P sources. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Life Cycle Assessment Approach for Evaluating Sustainable Agroecosystem)

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16 pages, 3811 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Using WaTEM/SEDEM to Model the Effects of Crop Rotation and Changes in Land Use on Sediment Transport in the Vrchlice Watershed

by Julie Winterová, Josef Krása, Miroslav Bauer, Nina Noreika and Tomáš Dostál

Sustainability 2022, 14(10), 5748; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14105748 - 10 May 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1749

Abstract

The Czech landscape has undergone various changes over the last 100 years and has been mainly adapted agriculturally for economic purposes. This has resulted, among other things, in reservoirs being clogged with sediment. The Vrchlice Reservoir was built in 1970 to supply drinking water for around 50,000 inhabitants, and increased sedimentation has been detected in the reservoir in recent years. Water erosion and sediment transport were modeled with WaTEM/SEDEM. Sediment volumes were measured in eight ponds across the watershed for calibration purposes. Modeled results from ponds in watersheds covered mostly with arable lands generally corresponded with the measured values. Although in forested watersheds, the measured sediment volumes greatly exceeded modeled sediment yields, indicating high uncertainty in using USLE-based models in non-agricultural watersheds. The modeled scenarios represented pre-Communist, Communist, and post-Communist eras. For these periods WaTEM/SEDEM was used to evaluate three isolated effects: the effects of various crops on arable lands, the effects of farmland fragmentation, and finally the effects of changes in land use. The change in crops proved to be an important factor causing high siltation rate (potential 23% reduction in sediment yield for historical periods), and land fragmentation played the second important role (potential 15% reduction in sediment yield can be reached by land fragmentation). Across all scenarios, the lowest sediment yield and reservoirs siltation rates were obtained from the pre-Communist and Communist crop share under current land use conditions, and current land use with farmland fragmentation implemented, as it was re-constructed for the pre-Communist era. This supports the idea that the introduction of green areas within arable lands are beneficial to the landscape and can help reduce soil erosion and reservoir siltation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Life Cycle Assessment Approach for Evaluating Sustainable Agroecosystem)

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24 pages, 3174 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Global Warming and Toxicity Impacts: Peanuts in Georgia, USA Using Life Cycle Assessment

by Rahmah Alhashim and Aavudai Anandhi

Sustainability 2022, 14(6), 3671; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14063671 - 21 Mar 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2310

Abstract

Fertilizers and pesticides have been widely used in agriculture production, causing polluted soil, water, and atmosphere. This study aims to quantify air emissions from pesticides and fertilizers applied for peanut production in Georgia during selected years (1991, 1999, 2004, 2013, and 2018). Specifically, the oral and dermal potential impacts from pesticide emissions and the global warming potential (GWP) impact from fertilizers to air were investigated. This study followed the ISO 14040 series standards for life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology to assess six active ingredients (AIs) (2,4-DB, Bentazon, Chlorothalonil, Ethalfluralin, Paraquat, and Pendimethalin) and one greenhouse gas (nitrous oxide N₂O). Their physical and chemical characteristics and the temporal scales greatly influenced the oral and dermal toxicity impacts. According to the low values obtained for Henry’s law (K_H) and vapor pressure (VP), 2,4-dichlorophenoxy butanoic (DB), Pendimethalin, and Chlorothalonil have a higher impact on the continental air scale. The effect factor (EF) from oral exposure was higher in 2,4-DB, Bentazon, and Pendimethalin than dermal exposure, according to the relatively low lethal dose (LD₅₀) for oral exposure, while the EF of Ethalfluralin and Chlorothalonil was the same for oral and dermal exposure according to their similar LD₅₀. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Life Cycle Assessment Approach for Evaluating Sustainable Agroecosystem)

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Review

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28 pages, 394 KiB

Open AccessReview

Consequential Life Cycle Assessment of Grain and Oilseed Crops: Review and Recommendations

by Nicole Bamber, Ian Turner, Baishali Dutta, Mohammed Davoud Heidari and Nathan Pelletier

Sustainability 2023, 15(7), 6201; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15076201 - 04 Apr 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1624

Abstract

The field crop industry in Canada is a source of both significant economic benefits and environmental impacts. Environmental impacts include land and energy use, as well as greenhouse gas (GHG) and other emissions. Impacts also accrue upstream of the field in the product supply chain, from the production of such inputs as fertilizers and pesticides. There are currently two types of environmental life cycle assessment (LCA)—attributional LCA (ALCA) and consequential LCA (CLCA)—that may be used to study the life cycle impacts of products such as field crops. ALCA is a retrospective methodology that presents a snapshot of average, “status quo” conditions. CLCA is a prospective methodology that presents the potential implications of changes in a product system, including any associated market-mediated changes in supply or demand in other product systems. Thus, CLCAs can be used to assess large-scale changes in the field crop industry, including its relationship to other sectors and processes, such as the production of biofuel or of food for both human and animal consumption. The aim of this paper is to review and curate the knowledge derived through published CLCA studies that assessed the impacts of changes to field crop production systems on the life cycle resource use and emissions associated with the agricultural products, with a focus on their relevance to temperate climate conditions. The current study also highlights how previous studies, including ALCAs and farm management recommendations, can be used to inform the changes that should be studied using CLCA. The main challenges to conducting CLCAs include identifying the system boundaries, marginal products and processes that would be impacted by changes to field crop production. Marginal markets and product systems to include can be determined using economic equilibrium models, or information from local experts and industry reports. In order to conduct ISO-compliant CLCAs, it is necessary to include multiple relevant environmental impact categories, and to perform robust data quality and uncertainty analyses. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Life Cycle Assessment Approach for Evaluating Sustainable Agroecosystem)

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