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- Brito de Figueiredo, Maria Clea, et al.
(författare)
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Reducing the impact of irrigated crops on freshwater availability : the case of Brazilian yellow melons
- 2014
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Ingår i: The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0948-3349 .- 1614-7502. ; 19:2, s. 437-448
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This study quantifies freshwater consumption throughout the life cycle of Brazilian exported yellow melons and assesses the resulting impact on freshwater availability. Results are used to identify improvement options. Moreover, the study explores the further impact of variations in irrigation volume, yield, and production location. The product system boundary encompasses production of seeds, seedlings, and melon plants; melon packing; disposal of solid farm waste; and farm input and melon transportation to European ports. The primary data in the study were collected from farmers in order to quantify freshwater consumption related to packing and to production of seeds, seedlings, and melons. Open-field melon irrigation was also estimated, considering the region's climate and soil characteristics. Estimated and current water consumptions were compared in order to identify impact reduction opportunities. Sensitivity analysis was used to evaluate variations in the impact because of changes in melon field irrigation, yield, and farm location. This study shows that the average impact on freshwater availability of 1 kg of exported Brazilian yellow melons is 135 l H2O-e, with a range from 17 to 224 l H2O-e depending on the growing season's production period. Irrigation during plant production accounts for 98 % of this impact. Current melon field water consumption in the Low Jaguaribe and A double dagger u region is at least 39 % higher than necessary, which affects the quality of fruits and yield. The impact of melon production in other world regions on freshwater availability may range from 0.3 l H2O-e/kg in Costa Rica to 466 l H2O-e/kg in the USA. The impact of temporary crops, such as melons, on water availability should be presented in ranges, instead of as an average, since regional consumptive water and water stress variations occur in different growing season periods. Current and estimated water consumption for irrigation may also be compared in order to identify opportunities to achieve optimization and reduce water availability impact.
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| 2. |
- de Figueiredo, Maria Clea Brito, et al.
(författare)
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The carbon footprint of exported Brazilian yellow melon
- 2013
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Ingår i: Journal of Cleaner Production. - : Elsevier BV. - 0959-6526 .- 1879-1786. ; 47, s. 404-414
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The carbon footprint of food has become important for producers worldwide as consumers and retail companies increasingly base their purchase decisions on carbon footprint labels. In this context, our objectives is to assess the carbon footprint (CF) of Brazilian yellow melon exported from the Low Jaguaribe and Acu region, including an uncertainty assessment, and to evaluate reduction potentials and improvement options. Exporting farms located in this region account for about 99 percent of Brazilian melon exports, mainly to the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. To determine the CF, we followed Life Cycle Assessment, according to ISO standards (14040 and 14044). The results are expressed in kg of CO2-eq/t of exported melon. The production system encompasses processes in the Low Jaguaribe and Acu region (such as seedling, plant production, packing, and disposal of solid wastes from farms), upstream processes (including the production and transportation of inputs, such as seeds, plastics, and fertilizers), and downstream processes (melon transport). The total yellow melon CF in the reference situation is 710 kg CO2-eq/t exported melon. However, scenario results indicate that this value can be reduced by 44 percent if melon fields are located in pre-existing agricultural areas, nitrogen fertilization is reduced, and no plastic field trays are used in melon production. GHG emissions from melon transport are relatively unimportant in the total CF. These results provide melon producers with an insight into the CF of their product, and options to reduce it.
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