ISHS Acta Horticulturae 429: XIII International Symposium on Horticultural Economics
UTILITY OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT METHOD IN HORTICULTURE |
| Authors: | ing. J.K. Nienhuis, i. P.J.A. de Vreede |
| Keywords: | Environmental effect, Ecobalance, Means of production, Energy consumption, Crop protection compounds, Fertilizers, Waste, Glasshouse, Greenhouse |
| Abstract:
The reason for this investigation was the lack of insight into the environmental effects occurring during the entire life cycle of the means of production used in greenhouse horticulture. The utility value of the Life Cycle Assessment method was investigated as a tool to find answers to questions about environmental pollution. The LCA method is an internationally accepted method to compare the environmental pressure of products. For round tomatoes and small-flowered roses the environmental pressures of a soil-grown crop, a substrate crop with free drainage, and a substrate crop with recirculation were compared. The environmental effects of the means of production employed during the phases of raw material extraction, production, consumption at the glasshouse holding, and waste processing, are taken into account. Due to lack of data, crop protection has not been considered in this investigation. Substrate cultivation with recirculation of the drainage water results in less environmental effects per kilogram of tomatoes or per bunch of roses than soil cultivation and free drainage. Reusing the drainage water leads to a lower emission of N and P and consequently to a much lower score for nutrification. The lower consumption of phosphate fertilizers in crops with recirculation results in much lower scores for toxicity to water and soil organisms. These conclusions are also valid for other fruit vegetable and ornamental crops grown on substrate. The energy consumption at the glasshouse holding of natural gas and electricity has a great share in the total environmental pressure. The environmental effects of energy consumption are determined by fuel, and emissions and efficiency of the combustion process. Energy requirement, energy consumption or energy content only give an indication about the greenhouse effect and not about other environmental effects. The Life Cycle Assessment is a suitable tool to visualize the effects of a decision on the environmental effects during the entire life cycle | |
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