Carbon intensive but decarbonising quickly? Retrospective and prospective Life Cycle Assessments of South African pome fruit. (1st March 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: de Kock, Lorren; Russo, Valentina; von Blottnitz, Harro
• Is Part Of: Journal of cleaner production. Volume 212(2019)
• Page Start: 139
• Page End: 150
• Publication Date: 2019-03-01
• Subjects: Attributional life cycle assessment -- Climate change -- South Africa -- Global Warming Potential -- Carbon intensity -- Eco-efficiency -- Agriculture -- Pome fruit sector; ALCA Attributional Life Cycle Assessment -- BFAP Bureau for Food and Agricultural Policy -- CA Controlled Atmosphere -- CCC Confronting Climate Change industry initiative -- CLCA Consequential Life Cycle Assessment -- CS Cold Store -- EPD Environmental Product Declaration/s -- EP Environmental Purchasing -- GHG Greenhouse gas -- GWP Global Warming Potential -- IEA International Energy Agency -- IPCC International Panel on Climate Change -- kWp kiloWatt peak -- LCA Life Cycle Assessment -- LCI Life Cycle Inventory -- LCIA Life Cycle Impact Assessment -- MWp MegaWatt peak -- PPI Producer Price Index -- PV Photovoltaic -- REIPPP Renewable Energy Independent Power Producers Programme -- SAFARI South African Food and Agriculture Reduced Impacts -- SSAJRP Swiss South African Joint Research Programme -- SSEG Small Scale Embedded Generation -- WCDoA Western Cape Department of Agriculture; Factory and trade waste -- Management -- Periodicals; Manufactures -- Environmental aspects -- Periodicals; Déchets industriels -- Gestion -- Périodiques; Usines -- Aspect de l'environnement -- Périodiques; 628.5
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2018.12.026
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0959-6526

Abstract

Abstract: Carbon intensity is an important descriptor of and widely used proxy for environmental impacts of products. Products exported from carbon-intensive economies are becoming vulnerable to soft-trade barriers. Producers and customers thus need to know whether production is becoming cleaner. The purpose of this study was to determine the global warming potential of South African apples and pears (pome fruit) for the years 2000, 2010 and 2020, and compare it to that cultivated and packaged in other countries. The Attributional Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology was used to determine the climate change impact across the main stages of the pome fruit life cycle namely; the farm, packhouse, controlled atmosphere store and cold store. Retrospective LCAs were used to determine the historical environmental impacts for the years 2000 and 2010 and a prospective LCA for the year 2020. The results obtained from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) impact assessment method indicated a decrease in the aggregated Global Warming Potential (GWP) of pome fruit from 1.52 kg CO2 eq/kg fruit in 2000 to 1.23 kg CO2 eq/kg fruit in 2010 and finally 1.02 kg CO2 eq/kg fruit in 2020 across the four life cycle stages specified. The life cycle stage with the largest contribution to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions was the Controlled Atmosphere store. At the activity level, the consumption of the national grid electricity in the fruit packaging and storage facilities was identified as the hotspot for all years. The normalised results for the industry show the same rate of decline during the 20-year period and correlate to the increasing trend of eco-efficiency practices implemented within the industry. South African pome fruit GHG emissions for the year 2000 were relatively high compared to similar international studies on apples and pears during the same period. The results for the years 2010 and 2020 indicate a sustained decline in GHG emissions intensity. Improvements are due largely to more intensive farm-stage production coupled with eco-efficiency improvements in all four value-chain stages, with a projected decline in carbon intensity of electricity from the national grid expected to make a significant contribution in the coming years. Graphical abstract: Highlights: A retrospective and prospective LCA of South African pome fruit conducted to investigate trends in climate change impacts. GWP results for years 2000, 2010 and 2020 are 1.52, 1.23 and 1.02 kg CO2 e/kg fruit respectively. Carbon intensive hotspots from grid electricity use in all life cycle stages, specifically during cold storage stage. Carbon intensity of industry indicates sustained decline from 2000 to 2020 at an average rate of ∼60%. Eco-efficiency practices contribute to the overall decline in GHG emissions without compromising on production yields.