Life cycle assessment of carnation production in Greece

Abeliotis, Konstadinos; Barla, Sofia-Anna; Detsis, Vassilis; Malindretos, George

doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2015.06.018

Cited by 25 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 11 publications

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“…According to Stanghellini et al [38] and Russo and Mugnozza [39], the plastic residues coming from the greenhouse film covering are estimated to be 1,1 t/ha/y, those coming from irrigation tubes, containers, and other construction materials are estimated to be 500 kg/ha/y. However, Russo et al [31] and Lazzerini et al [18] found that the structures of the greenhouses, with a metal life span of 20 years and plastic cover replacement every two years, have a limited effect on the environmental impacts, so that they could be eliminated in the works where they are not prior [18,30]. The energy consumptions of the irrigation system and of the inverter used for the pellet heating were not The transport of supplies can be considered of minor relevance, ranging on average from 0.2% to 0.8% of the total in wax begonias (Figure 3) and from 0.3% to 1% of the total in violas (Figure 4).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Since there are no previous studies on edible flowers, it was difficult to compare the results with other equivalent works. There are assessments conducted on cut flowers [16,30,31], but it would not be a fair comparison, because those are ornamental flowers, not food, and many fertilizers, pesticides, and fungicides are used. Therefore, the results of this work were compared to studies on lettuce [23,24,40], as it has a rapid life cycle and more attention is required for the use of fertilizers and pesticides directly on the leaves, as they will be the product ingested, such as edible flowers.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, Fusi et al [24] assessed the processing phase too, which was not present in the nursery's production process, in conclusion, the GWP values of edible flowers resulted in being higher than those found for lettuce. Comparisons with cut flowers' production were not possible, due to the different functional units used; however we expect the cut flowers' values to be higher, as there are more inputs used, such as fertilizers, fungicides, insecticides, pesticides, and gasoline and electricity for machinery and plant growth regulators [22,30].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For the LCA study, we followed four main steps [30,33]: Goal and scope definition, where the goal and the scope of the study, the functional unit to which all the outcomes of the LCA are referred, and the system boundaries are identified; [21];…”

Section: Lca Methodologymentioning

confidence: 99%

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Environmental Impact of Edible Flower Production: A Case Study

et al. 2020

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Nowadays the heightened awareness of the critical trend in resource depletion impels to improve the eco − sustainability of any productive process. The research presented in this paper aims to quantify the environmental impact of the emerging productive process of edible flowers, focusing on two model species, i.e., Begonia x semperflorens − cultorum hort and Viola cornuta L., and two types of product, i.e., flowering potted plants sold in plastic vases and packaged flowers ready to be consumed. The study was carried out in an Italian nursery located in Tuscany, interviewing the owners in order to complete the Life Cycle Inventory, assessing the value of the impact categories, and using the “cradle to gate” approach. The information about the production of flowering potted plants and packaged flowers were inserted in a database and elaborated by the appropriate software. The results of the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) analysis referred to 1 g of fresh edible flowers and were expressed in four impact categories. Global Warming Potential (GWP) values ranged from 24.94 to 31.25 g CO2 eq/g flowers, Acidification Potential (AP) ranged from 8.169E − 02 to 1.249E − 01 g SO2 eq/g flowers, Eutrophication Potential (EP) ranged from 3.961E − 02 to 5.284E − 02 g PO43 − eq/g flowers, and Photochemical Ozone Creation Potential (POCP) ranged from 8.998E − 03 to 1.134E − 02 g C2H4 eq/g flowers. Begonias showed lower emissions than violas in the GWP and POCP indexes, whereas violas showed lower values in the AP and EP impact categories. The most impactful phase was the propagation, accounting on average for 42% of the total emissions. Overall, the findings highlighted a higher environmental load for the production of both begonias and violas packaged flowers, especially if in small containers, rather than as potted plants, with an emission percentage increase from 8% to 17% among the impact categories.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Lca Methodologymentioning

confidence: 99%

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Environmental Impact of Edible Flower Production: A Case Study

et al. 2020

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“…To maintain their quality, cuttings require a temperature of 4 to 8 degrees during storage and transport. In general, harvested cuttings require lower temperatures compared to cut-roses to maintain their quality after harvest, which can contribute significantly to GHG emissions [20,29].…”

Section: Distribution Stagementioning

confidence: 99%

Sustainability Challenges and Innovations in the Value Chain of Flowering Potted Plants for the German Market

Havardi-Burger¹,

Mempel²,

Bitsch³

2020

Sustainability

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This study investigated the sustainability challenges and the adoption of sustainability innovations along the value chain of flowering potted plants supplying the German market. Data was collected through eighteen in-depths interviews with chain actors from different stages of the value chain and analyzed through qualitative content analysis. The material flow of the value chain begins at the breeding level followed by the propagation level. Cuttings are produced mostly in African countries, rooted cuttings and potted plants are cultivated in Europe. The main environmental challenges include water scarcity, pesticide use and carbon footprint. Social challenges in Africa include low wages and difficult working conditions. In Germany, social challenges include recruitment and retention of employees and product transparency. Economic challenges include profitability and the need to comply with standards. Sustainability driven innovations can address some sustainability challenges. However, their implementation often leads to increased costs, financial risk and complexity of implementation. Furthermore, the lack of product transparency prevents the transfer of sustainability costs to the consumer by offering a sustainable product for a premium price. Business-to-business standards have generally had a positive influence on the adoption of sustainability innovations. But by setting certification as an entry barrier for suppliers, retailers have become more powerful chain actors.

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Vertical Farms for Future Cities

Al-Kodmany

2024

Digital Agriculture

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Life cycle assessment of carnation production in Greece

Cited by 25 publications

References 11 publications

Environmental Impact of Edible Flower Production: A Case Study

Environmental Impact of Edible Flower Production: A Case Study

Sustainability Challenges and Innovations in the Value Chain of Flowering Potted Plants for the German Market

Vertical Farms for Future Cities

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