Evaluating the global warming potential of the fresh produce supply chain for strawberries, romaine/cos lettuces (Lactuca sativa), and button mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus) in Western Australia using life cycle assessment (LCA)

Gunady, Maria G.A.; Biswas, Wahidul K.; Solah, Vicky; James, Anthony P.

doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2011.12.031

Cited by 102 publications

(60 citation statements)

References 11 publications

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“…The LCA method is currently considered a very useful instrument for comparing products, processes and services and serving as the basis for formulating an environmental product declaration (Schau and Fet, 2008). The results of an LCA analysis are usually presented in a range of different impact categories, such as global warming, acidification, nitrification, ozone reduction, and toxicity (Pennington et al, 2004;Gunady et al, 2012). In the case of the present study, the data refer to production during 2011.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A life cycle assessment of non-renewable energy use and greenhouse gas emissions associated with blueberry and raspberry production in northern Italy

Girgenti

Peano

Bounous

et al. 2013

Science of The Total Environment

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A life cycle assessment of non-renewable energy use and greenhouse gas emissions associated with blueberry and raspberry production in northern Italy

Girgenti

Peano

Bounous

et al. 2013

Science of The Total Environment

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“…The results from the current study are comparable in magnitude to the other mushroom (Agaricus bisporus) LCA studies completed. Gunady et al (2012) found that 2.76 kg of CO 2 e is released for every kilogram of mushroom produced, and Leiva et al (2015) found 4.41 kg CO 2 e released per kilogram of mushroom. In addition to differences in background systems, including electricity grid fuel mixes, differences in cultural practices, and differences in climate, the difference in CO 2 e between studies may also be partly explained by the streamlined approach taken by Gunady et al (2012) and the GWP conversion factors used by each study.…”

Section: Global Warming Potentialmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Gunady et al (2012) found that 2.76 kg of CO 2 e is released for every kilogram of mushroom produced, and Leiva et al (2015) found 4.41 kg CO 2 e released per kilogram of mushroom. In addition to differences in background systems, including electricity grid fuel mixes, differences in cultural practices, and differences in climate, the difference in CO 2 e between studies may also be partly explained by the streamlined approach taken by Gunady et al (2012) and the GWP conversion factors used by each study. Gunady et al (2012) used GWPs published in the IPCC's Second Assessment Report (IPCC 1996), Leiva et al (2015) used GWPs published in the IPCC's Fourth Assessment Report (IPCC, 2007), and this study used the most recent GWP estimates from the IPCC's Fifth Assessment Report (IPCC 2014).…”

Section: Global Warming Potentialmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Gunady et al (2012) completed a streamlined LCA from cradle-to-retail in Australia, and Leiva et al (2015) completed an LCA for mushroom production in Spain. Both studies evaluated Agaricus bisporus, and comparison of their results shows great variability in estimates of impact; for example, their carbon intensity estimates, 2.76 kg CO 2 equivalent (CO 2 e) and 4.41 kg CO 2 e/kg mushroom, differed by 60%.…”

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confidence: 99%

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A life cycle assessment of Agaricus bisporus mushroom production in the USA

Robinson

Winans

Kendall

et al. 2018

Int J Life Cycle Assess

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Purpose Stakeholders across the food product supply chain are increasingly interested in understanding the environmental effects of food production. Mushrooms are a unique food crop, grown in the absence of sunlight and in climate controlled environments. Few life cycle assessment (LCA) studies have been conducted previously on mushrooms and none in the USA. This study assesses the cradle-to-gate life cycle environmental impacts of mushroom production in the USA from cultivation to harvest and preparation for bulk packaging. Methods This process-based LCA uses primary data from mushroom producers to define the foreground system. Primary data for operations were collected from compost and mushroom producers in the USA, representing approximately one third of US mushroom production. Secondary data were collected from life cycle inventory databases and other published resources to define background systems and process emissions from the foreground system. The study uses a functional unit of 1 kg mushrooms and applies the Institute of Environmental Sciences (CML) impact analysis method, supplemented with additional impact categories for energy use, freshwater use, and 20 and 100-year global warming potentials (GWPs) with and without carbon-climate feedback. Results and discussion Results show that GWP 100 impacts range from 2.13 to 2.95 kg CO 2 e/kg of mushroom product, slightly lower than previous mushroom LCAs conducted for Australian and Spanish production systems. Electricity and fossil fuels were the most impactful inputs, not just for GWP, but most other impact categories as well, followed by compost materials, compost emissions, and transportation. Transport of peat, a key input to the mushroom production substrate, and compost materials contributed to 60 and 36% of the total transportation impacts, respectively. The co-product generated by the system, spent mushroom substrate (SMS), was handled using the displacement method. SMS generated very small credits to the system, less than 1% in every impact category. Conclusions Recommendations to improve the commercial mushroom production process include reducing electricity and fossil fuel use through on-site renewable energy generation. This recommendation is primarily relevant to mushroom producers in the Eastern region of the USA, where the electricity grid is the most coal and fossil fuel-intensive. Future work should contextualize the results of this study in the context of nutrition, meal, or diet-level assessments to enable informed food choices.

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“…The results of an LCA analysis are generally presented in a range of different impact categories, such as global warming, acidification, nitrification, ozone depletion and toxicity (Pennington et al;2004;Gunady et al, 2012). Scenario 1 assumed that 20% of plastics were incinerated and 80% were disposed of in a landfill.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

From “farm to fork” strawberry system: Current realities and potential innovative scenarios from life cycle assessment of non-renewable energy use and green house gas emissions

Girgenti

Peano

Baudino³

et al. 2014

Science of The Total Environment

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From "farm to fork" strawberry system: Current realities and potential innovative scenarios from life cycle assessment of non--renewable energy use and green house gas emissions The definitive version is available at: doi10.1016/j.scitotenv.2013.11.133 From "farm to fork" strawberry system: current realities and potential innovative scenarios from life cycle assessment of non--renewable energy use and green houses gas emissions In this study, we analysed the environmental profile of the strawberry industry in Northern Italy. The analysis was conducted using two scenarios as reference systems: strawberry crops grown in unheated plastic tunnels using currently existing cultivation techniques, post--harvest management practices and consumption patterns (scenario 1) and the same strawberry cultivation chain in which some of the materials used were replaced with bio--based materials (scenario 2). In numerous studies, biodegradable polymers have been shown to be environmentally friendly, thus potentially reducing environmental impacts. These materials can be recycled into carbon dioxide and water through composting. Many materials, such as Mater--BI® and PLA®, are also derived from renewable resources. The methodology chosen for the environmental analysis was a life cycle assessment (LCA) based on a consequential approach developed to assess a product's overall environmental impact from the production system to its usage and disposal. In the field stage, a traditional mulching film (non--biodegradable) could be replaced with a biodegradable product. This change would result in waste production of 0 kg/ha for the bio--based product compared to 260 kg/ha of waste for polyethylene (PE). In the post--harvest stage, the issue addressed was the use and disposal of packaging materials. The innovative scenario evaluated herein pertains to the use of new packaging materials that increase the shelf life of strawberries, thereby decreasing product losses while increasing waste management efficiency at the level of a distribution platform and/or sales outlet. In the event of product deterioration or non--sale of the product, the packaging and its contents could be collected together as organic waste without any additional processes because the packaging is compostable according to EN13432. Scenario 2 would achieve reductions of 20% in the global warming potential and non--renewable energy impact categories.

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Evaluating the global warming potential of the fresh produce supply chain for strawberries, romaine/cos lettuces (Lactuca sativa), and button mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus) in Western Australia using life cycle assessment (LCA)

Cited by 102 publications

References 11 publications

A life cycle assessment of non-renewable energy use and greenhouse gas emissions associated with blueberry and raspberry production in northern Italy

A life cycle assessment of non-renewable energy use and greenhouse gas emissions associated with blueberry and raspberry production in northern Italy

A life cycle assessment of Agaricus bisporus mushroom production in the USA

From “farm to fork” strawberry system: Current realities and potential innovative scenarios from life cycle assessment of non-renewable energy use and green house gas emissions

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