LCA-Based Environmental Performance of Olive Cultivation in Northwestern Greece: From Rainfed to Irrigated through Conventional and Smart Crop Management Practices

Abstract

Olive cultivation is expanding rapidly in the northwestern part of Greece, under both rainfed and irrigated practices. Irrigation can result in larger yields and economic returns, but trade-offs in the water–energy–pollution nexus remain a controversial and challenging issue. This study presents an environmental Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of Greek olive orchard systems in the plain of Arta (Epirus), comparing rainfed (baseline), Decision Support System (DSS)-based (smart) irrigation practices and farmer experience-based (conventional) irrigation practices. The contributions in this paper are, first, to provide a first quantitative indication of the environmental performance of Greek olive growing systems under different management strategies, and second, to detail the advantages that can be achieved using smart irrigation in olive cultivation in the Greek and Mediterranean contexts. Eighteen midpoints (e.g., climate change, water scarcity, acidification, freshwater eutrophication, etc.), two endpoints (damages on human health and ecosystem quality), and a single score (overall environmental impact) were quantified using the IMPACT World+ life cycle impact assessment method. The LCA model was set up using the OpenLCA software v1.10.3. The functional units were 1 ton of product (mass-based) and 1 ha of cultivated area (area-based) on a cradle-to-farm gate perspective. Irrigated systems had the lowest impacts per mass unit due to higher yields, but showed the highest impacts per cultivated area. The DSS-based irrigation management could reduce water and energy use by 42.1% compared to conventional practices. This is translated into a reduction of 5.3% per 1 ton and 10.4% per 1 ha of the total environmental impact. A sensitivity analysis of impact assessment models demonstrated that the benefits could be up to 18% for 1 ton of product or 22.6% for 1 ha of cultivated land. These results outline that DSS-based irrigation is a promising option to support less resource-intensive and sustainable intensification of irrigated agriculture systems in the plain of Arta.

Resource Use and Environmental Impacts of Seed and Vegetative Globe Artichoke Production in Mediterranean Environments: A Cradle-to-Farm Gate Analysis

“…The adoption of precise farming strategies and tools may provide the basis for more efficient use of critical inputs (fertilizers, water, and fuel) and reduce environmental impacts. The ability of smart farming to reduce environmental impacts is demonstrated in rice [40], olives [41], zucchini [42], and vineyard [43] production.…”

Reclaimed Water for Vineyard Irrigation in a Mediterranean Context: Life Cycle Environmental Impacts, Life Cycle Costs, and Eco-Efficiency

“…Thus, computer-based DSS can be used to calculate crop irrigation requirements and fertilization recommendations according to farm productive goals and eco-efficiency principles [19]. The environmental DSS-based irrigation management in orchard cultivation could be up to 18% for 1 ton of product or 22.6% for 1 ha of cultivated land [36]. Our analysis was based on tertiary treatment, and advanced treatment options used specific pollutant removal, disinfection, etc.…”

OpenHi.net: A Synergistically Built, National-Scale Infrastructure for Monitoring the Surface Waters of Greece

“…Data are transmitted by UHF or GPRS to the communications center and are freely provided in near-real time by the Openhi.net online time series database: (https://system.openhi.net, accessed on 30 September 2021). This network of agrometeorological stations constitutes valuable infrastructure for the water district of Epirus, providing near-real time data for most of the cultivated areas [23,24].…”