Environmental Impacts of Rice Intensification Using High-Yielding Varieties: Evidence from Mazandaran, Iran

Oriana Gava (), Zahra Ardakani (), Adela Delalic and Stefano Monaco
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Oriana Gava: Research Centre Policies and Bioeconomy, Council for Agricultural Research and Economics, 50127 Florence, Italy
Zahra Ardakani: Department of Agricultural Economics, Islamic Azad University, Qaemshahr Branch, Qaemshahr 4765161964, Iran
Adela Delalic: Department for Quantitative Economics, School of Economics and Business, University of Sarajevo, 71000 Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Stefano Monaco: Research Centre for Engineering and Agro-Food Processing, Council for Agricultural Research and Economics, 10135 Turin, Italy

Sustainability, 2024, vol. 16, issue 6, 1-32

Abstract: This article aims to show the potential contribution of high-yielding rice varieties to achieve sustainable intensification in paddy farming, by focusing on a developing country. A comparative life cycle assessment of traditional vs. high-yielding varieties is carried out by comparing the area-based and yield-based results. Primary data are collected through a farm survey (49 farms in the Mazandaran province, Iran; spring 2018). The results highlight that high-yielding varieties can reduce the yield-scaled impacts. However, area-scaled impacts are subject to increase for most impact categories. Statistically significant trade-offs involve global warming potential (+13% per ha and −28% per t in high-yielding varieties) and fossil resource depletion (+15% per ha and −26% per t in high-yielding varieties). Pesticide management is the most alarming practice. High-yielding varieties increase pesticide consumption and related toxicity impacts both per t and per ha. This study is a new contribution to the literature by improving and broadening the mainstream productivity perspective of current life cycle assessment research about crop varieties. The lessons learnt from this study suggest that the trade-offs between yield-scaled and area-scaled impacts should be carefully considered by decision-makers and policymakers, especially in developing countries that, like Iran, are affected by the overexploitation of natural resources. Targeted policy and the development of farmer education and advisory services are needed to create the enabling conditions for farm management changes, including conscious use of production inputs while avoiding heuristics.

Keywords: life cycle assessment; hotspot analysis; functional unit; normalization; pesticides; toxicity (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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