ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY OF AGRI-FOOD SUPPLY CHAINS: AN LCA COMPARISON BETWEEN ALTERNATIVE FORMS OF PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTION OF SALAD

Abstract

This paper summarises a life cycle assessment of two agricultural supply chains, mainly carried out to test the potential environmental benefits of organic farming and of alternative distribution practices promoting packaging reduction and a shortened supply chain. Organic and integrated production of endive were firstly compared, according to a cradle-to-gate approach. The comparison was then extended to the whole supply chain, considering the direct distribution of the raw organic product to local networks of ethical purchasing groups (EPGs) by means of returnable crates, and the large-scale retailing of the conventional product after its industrial washing and packing (ready-to-use product). The two systems were modelled mainly based on the practices adopted by two real farms, while checking the acquired primary data with the values available in the relevant technical literature. The impact assessment focused on fourteen environmental and human health impact categories, and on the cumulative energy demand. The analysis of the agricultural production phase revealed that none of the examined farming techniques has a better overall environmental profile. In fact, per hectare of tilled surface, nearly half impact categories (7/15) are favourable to organic farming, three are against, while for the others both farming techniques are comparable. Per kg of harvested product, organic farming is preferable for five impact categories, while integrated production for six of them. Considering the whole supply chain, the direct distribution of the raw organic product to local networks of EPGs is preferable for all impact categories except one, where the impact of the farming phase is dominant and against organic production. This exception disappears if farming is excluded from the comparison (i.e. only distribution and consumption are considered).