scholarly journals Assessing the Impact of Water Use in LCA of Conventional and Organic Carrot Production in Poland

Author(s):  
Zbigniew Kowalczyk ◽  
Maciej Kuboń

Abstract As global water resources are decreasing and the demand for it is constantly increasing, the problem of proper water management is becoming more pressing. Poland is one of the largest producers of vegetables in Europe, including carrots, with significant exports. However its freshwater resources are relatively small. The paper presents the results of research on the water footprint (WF) life cycle assessment (LCA) in conventional and organic carrot production. The methodology of calculating WF was used in accordance with PN-EN ISO 14046. It was found, e.g., that the water scarcity index (WSI) for organic production of carrot (WSI = 1.9 m3∙ha-1) is over five times lower, as compared to conventional production (WSI = 10.4 m3∙ha-1). In the case of conventional production, the fertilization process (67.0% - 67.7%) has the greatest impact on the shaping of WF in the individual impact categories, i.e. Human Health, Ecosystem Quality and resources. In organic production, the WF-shaping factor is carrot harvesting (41.9% - 43.1%). The research can be used to develop pro-ecological carrot production technologies, as well as to shape sustainable development plans in agricultural areas. It can also be used to outline policy directions regarding foreign trade in water-consuming agricultural products.

Author(s):  
Truong Thanh Canh ◽  
Thuy-Trang Thi Nguyen ◽  
Anh Hoang Le

The research conducted a survey of the water consumption in Ho Chi Minh City through the consumption of products from agriculture, industry and domestic. The research identified green water, blue water and grey water footprints in consuming products. Then personal water footprints were calculated and evaluated. The results showed that the average personal water footprint in district 3 was 1556 m3/year (77.15% for agriculture, 15.59% for industry and 7.26% for domestic), district 10 was 1587 m3/year (77.58% for agriculture, 15.17% for industry and 7.25% domestic), Nha Be district is 1681 m3/year (80.48% for agriculture, 12.97% for industry and 6.55% for domestic) and Binh Chanh district was 1744 m3/year (81.57% for agriculture, 11.88% for industry and 6.55% for domestic). In the individual components of the water footprint, water footprints in consuming agricultural products accounted for the major percentage and determined the personal water footprint. The results showed that the individual water footprints in countryside areas were higher than those in urban areas. Depending on the amount and forms of each individual's consumption, their eating habit and daily activities, and the sexes, the personal water footprints were different. The perception and behavior of individuals' water consumption also significantly influenced the overall personal water footprints.


Horticulturae ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 46 ◽  
Author(s):  
Victor Hugo Durán-Zuazo ◽  
Dionisio Franco Tarifa ◽  
Iván Francisco García-Tejero ◽  
Saray Gutiérrez Gordillo ◽  
Pedro Cermeño Sacristan ◽  
...  

Water scarcity in many semi-arid agricultural areas, in particular for the Mediterranean basin, is promoting changes in irrigated agriculture, with alternative strategies being introduced for water-use optimization. The coast of Granada and Malaga (Southeast Spain) is an economically important area for subtropical fruit cultivation. This intensively irrigated agriculture is characterized by requiring extra amounts of water and the adoption of sustainable practices to improve agricultural water management. A two-season experiment was conducted to assess (1) the water use in terraced cherimoya (Annona cherimola Mill. cv. Fino de Jete) orchards under conventional and organic production systems with drainage lysimeters, and (2) the impact on fruit yield and nutritional effects between the two considered production systems. Crop coefficient (Kc) values for cherimoya were 0.60–0.66, 0.64–0.71, and 0.48–0.62 at flowering, fruit set, and fruit growth, respectively. Fruit yield was similar in both systems, ranging from 47.1 for conventional to 44.1 kg tree−1 for organic farming, averaging 13.2 and 12.3 t·ha−1, respectively. No differences between these systems were observed in terms of leaf nutrient status, with variations in the N, P, and K contents during the different phenological stages. The N, P, and K lessen during flowering and fruit growth; the highest levels of these nutrients were fixed at harvest. These patterns were the opposite in Ca and Mg, ascribable to the antagonism between K and both Ca and Mg. Thus, these findings highlight the need to establish the optimal use of irrigation water with respect to crop requirements, thereby encouraging sustainable subtropical farming in terraces.


2021 ◽  
Vol 262 ◽  
pp. 03026
Author(s):  
D.A. Maksimov ◽  
V.B. Minin ◽  
A.N. Perekopskiy ◽  
A.M. Zakharov

One of the main tasks of organic production of agricultural products is to reduce the load on agroecosystems while simultaneously obtaining a yield indicator of high consumer quality, as with intensive production technologies, and this can be attained only through the fuller use of the biological potential of a crop, species, variety. In the production of agricultural products using biologized machine technologies, they interact with the environment: the atmosphere, hydrosphere and soil. The research is aimed to the creation of adaptive biologized machine technologies that ensure the efficient use of natural resources in the production of agricultural products with a minimum impact on the environment. The research object is the potato agrocenosis in the crop rotation of tilled and field crops. The crop rotation includes potatoes, beets, perennial legumes and cereals. In the experiment, potatoes of the Udacha variety (superelite), zoned for the Leningrad region, were cultivated. Particular attention was paid to the assessment of possible environmental risks in the implementation of the selected technological solutions for growing potatoes, as well as the fight against weeds, since the use of synthetic herbicides, fungicides, insecticides, etc. radically contradicts GOST 33980 - 2016 “Organic products. Rules for production, processing, labeling and sale”.


Author(s):  
Antonio Bodini ◽  
Sara Chiussi ◽  
Michele Donati ◽  
Valentin Bellassen ◽  
Áron Török ◽  
...  

AbstractWater Footprint (WF, henceforth) is an indicator of water consumption and has taken ground to assess the impact of agricultural production processes over freshwater. The focus of this study was contrasting non-conventional, certified products with identical products obtained through conventional production schemes (REF, henceforth) using WF as a measure of their pressure on water resources. The aim was to the show whether products that are certified as Food Quality Schemes (FQS, henceforth) could also incorporate the lower impact on water among their quality features. To perform this comparison, we analysed 23 products selected among Organic, PDO and PGI as FQS, and their conventional counterparts. By restricting the domain of analysis to the on-farm phase of the production chain, we obtained that that no significant differences emerged between the FQS and REF products. However, if the impact is measured per unit area rather than per unit product, FQS showed a significant reduction in water demand.


Author(s):  
Brynne D. Ovalle ◽  
Rahul Chakraborty

This article has two purposes: (a) to examine the relationship between intercultural power relations and the widespread practice of accent discrimination and (b) to underscore the ramifications of accent discrimination both for the individual and for global society as a whole. First, authors review social theory regarding language and group identity construction, and then go on to integrate more current studies linking accent bias to sociocultural variables. Authors discuss three examples of intercultural accent discrimination in order to illustrate how this link manifests itself in the broader context of international relations (i.e., how accent discrimination is generated in situations of unequal power) and, using a review of current research, assess the consequences of accent discrimination for the individual. Finally, the article highlights the impact that linguistic discrimination is having on linguistic diversity globally, partially using data from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and partially by offering a potential context for interpreting the emergence of practices that seek to reduce or modify speaker accents.


Crisis ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 37 (4) ◽  
pp. 265-270 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meshan Lehmann ◽  
Matthew R. Hilimire ◽  
Lawrence H. Yang ◽  
Bruce G. Link ◽  
Jordan E. DeVylder

Abstract. Background: Self-esteem is a major contributor to risk for repeated suicide attempts. Prior research has shown that awareness of stigma is associated with reduced self-esteem among people with mental illness. No prior studies have examined the association between self-esteem and stereotype awareness among individuals with past suicide attempts. Aims: To understand the relationship between stereotype awareness and self-esteem among young adults who have and have not attempted suicide. Method: Computerized surveys were administered to college students (N = 637). Linear regression analyses were used to test associations between self-esteem and stereotype awareness, attempt history, and their interaction. Results: There was a significant stereotype awareness by attempt interaction (β = –.74, p = .006) in the regression analysis. The interaction was explained by a stronger negative association between stereotype awareness and self-esteem among individuals with past suicide attempts (β = –.50, p = .013) compared with those without attempts (β = –.09, p = .037). Conclusion: Stigma is associated with lower self-esteem within this high-functioning sample of young adults with histories of suicide attempts. Alleviating the impact of stigma at the individual (clinical) or community (public health) levels may improve self-esteem among this high-risk population, which could potentially influence subsequent suicide risk.


2014 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 103-124 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Kopasker

Existing research has consistently shown that perceptions of the potential economic consequences of Scottish independence are vital to levels of support for constitutional change. This paper attempts to investigate the mechanism by which expectations of the economic consequences of independence are formed. A hypothesised causal micro-level mechanism is tested that relates constitutional preferences to the existing skill investments of the individual. Evidence is presented that larger skill investments are associated with a greater likelihood of perceiving economic threats from independence. Additionally, greater perceived threat results in lower support for independence. The impact of uncertainty on both positive and negative economic expectations is also examined. While uncertainty has little effect on negative expectations, it significantly reduces the likelihood of those with positive expectations supporting independence. Overall, it appears that a general economy-wide threat is most significant, and it is conjectured that this stems a lack of information on macroeconomic governance credentials.


2018 ◽  
Vol 1 (4) ◽  
pp. 9-18
Author(s):  
Rasulov Tulkin Sattarovich ◽  
Khushvaktov Kuvonchbek Ravshanovich

In today’s world of swiftly increasing global economy and continuously changing international trade laws and technology exchange rate plays a pivotal role in the production, price formation, export and import of agricultural products. For many years exchange rate as an integral part of agricultural economics has been ignored. The present study was intended to investigate exchange rate as an impacting factor on the agricultural production. It also considers the researches that have been carried about the impact of the exchange rate on prices and export of agricultural products, theirs analyses and how much impact it has in the situation of Uzbekistan.


HortScience ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 531b-531
Author(s):  
J. Nienhuis

REDCAHOR is the Spanish acronym for “Central American Vegetable Network.” Vegetables have traditionally been an important source of nutrients and vitamins in the diet in Central America. Vegetable production in this region is now changing as local consumers are demanding increased diversity and quality and international markets are expanding with “non-traditional” vegetable exports. The present restraints to expanded research and production of vegetables in the region include i) need for cultivars with increased insect and disease resistance, ii) poor and excessive use of pesticides, and iii) inadequate postharvest technology. In addition, there are few vegetable researchers in the region and response to their activities have not been coordinated. The goal of REDCAHOR is to develop a regional network of national institutions that can prioritize agendas and cooperate to maximize the impact of available resources. Establishment of a system of regional trials and cooperative regional programs in integrated pest management and plant breeding are currently under development. A series of regional workshops are planned, including integrated pest management, maintenance and use of genetic resources, organic production, and greenhouse production. In addition, REDCAHOR, in collaboration with the Escuela Agricola Panamerica in Honduras, will offer regional short-course training in vegetable breeding and genetics as well as vegetable production and management, including integrated pest management.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document