Environmental Assessment of an Innovative High-Performance Experimental Agriculture Field

Fabiana Frota de Albuquerque Landi, Claudia Fabiani (), Anna Laura Pisello, Alessandro Petrozzi, Daniele Milone and Franco Cotana
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Fabiana Frota de Albuquerque Landi: CIRIAF—Interuniversity Research Center, University of Perugia, 06123 Perugia, Italy
Claudia Fabiani: CIRIAF—Interuniversity Research Center, University of Perugia, 06123 Perugia, Italy
Anna Laura Pisello: CIRIAF—Interuniversity Research Center, University of Perugia, 06123 Perugia, Italy
Alessandro Petrozzi: CIRIAF—Interuniversity Research Center, University of Perugia, 06123 Perugia, Italy
Daniele Milone: Dipartimento di Ingegneria (D.I.), University of Palermo, Viale delle Scienze-Build 9, 90128 Palermo, Italy
Franco Cotana: CIRIAF—Interuniversity Research Center, University of Perugia, 06123 Perugia, Italy

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 17, 1-18

Abstract: To increase food availability, optimizing production systems and reducing burdens related to human activities is essential in a scenario of population growth and limited natural resources. In this context, the life cycle methodology can represent a valuable asset for assessing the environmental performance of agricultural products and services. This study sought to investigate and characterize potential impacts of an experimental tomato field at the University of Perugia and evaluate if the production increment obtained using high-reflective mulching compensated for the emissions caused by this extra component. The first-year crop campaign was the baseline reference to measure the system’s efficiency. A CML baseline method applied demonstrated that the covered field (F1) was associated with more than 23 kg CO 2 eq emissions (25% attributed to the mulch) in comparison to about 18 kg CO 2 eq of the non-covered sector (F2). In addition, electronic components and drainage systems were linked with most toxicity indicators. However, the F1 field’s higher productivity compensated for the mulch impact, resulting in 9% lower CO 2 equivalent emissions per kg yield in the first year and 18% lower each year for 30 years. The results encourage application of this approach in urban contexts with several benefits.

Keywords: life-cycle assessment; agricultural systems; high-reflective materials; circular economy; experimental field; greenhouse gases (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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