Open AccessLife Cycle Assessment for Conventional and Organic Agro-Foods Ecological Footprint
Author(s) -
Iuliana Vintilă
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
bulletin of university of agricultural sciences and veterinary medicine cluj-napoca. agriculture
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1843-5386
pISSN - 1843-5246
DOI - 10.15835/buasvmcn-agr:5201
Subject(s) - environmental science , ecological footprint , pelagic zone , organic farming , production (economics) , carbon footprint , life cycle assessment , organic production , herring , fishery , agricultural science , fish <actinopterygii> , agriculture , food science , agronomy , biology , ecology , greenhouse gas , macroeconomics , sustainability , economics
The present paper research compares the Ecological Footprint (EF) of conventional and organic agro-foods in relation with the carbon emissions generated in the production and distribution chain. The conventional production system were found to have a EF value in average with 50% higher than in organic processing, mainly due to the agricultural and packing procedures. The lowest CO2 emissions were found for organic cereal production (1.15gha/t in rye case). Pork meat production is less emission intense than chicken, which is more environmentally favorable than lamb and beef. The reducing of EF in case of organic production is in the range of 1,05 (potatoes)-1,89 (tomatoes) times in vegetables case, 1.15 (rye)–2.23 (wheat) in cereals case, 1.03(chicken)-1.93(turkey) in meats case and dramatically more in case of sea foods 1.64 (shrimps)-5.9. Pelagic fish species such as herring or mackerel with low CO2 emissions register the highest reducing of EF in case of organic conversion of production and Eco-friendly distribution system.