trends and future of sustainable development - TransEco

1. Introduction and BackgroundThe development of large scale industrial production systems based on renewable resources, rather thannon-renewable ones, is a crucial item on the international agenda, in times of increasing depletion offossil reservoirs. In such a framework, biomass and, in particular, plant-based raw materials are of greatinterest from both economic and ecological standpoints as alternative feedstocks for industrialproduction, addressing both the energy and non-energy sectors including chemicals and materials (EC,2004).The search for new sources of energy and materials gave rise to an intensified exploitation ofavailable land for energy cropping: energy cropping is however constrained by the large amount of soilrequired for the production of raw materials. Soil use as well as other related environmental resources(water, topsoil, biodiversity etc.) affected by energy cropping are source of growing concerns aboutenvironmental, ecological and social impacts.In order to prevent competition for arable lands in food production, non-food crops on marginallands have recently been promoted, where “marginal” refers to abandoned or degraded lands with lowinherent productivity and no quality for agricultural uses (UNEP, 2007). Cropping bioenergy canovercome these lands’ economically unattractiveness and unsuitability for food production. In Campaniaregion (southern Italy), a significant portion of lands can be considered marginal because of insufficienteconomic return and also serious pollution level generated by inaccurate or illegal disposal of industrialand urban waste. As a consequence, growing non-food crops may provide an extraordinary opportunityto add value to these idle lands, producing both bioenergy and biomaterials in the wider perspective ofthe biorefinery concept, intending for biorefinery “the sustainable processing of biomass into a spectrumof value-added products (chemicals, materials, food and feed) and energy (biofuels, power and heat)”(Kamm & Kamm, 2004, 137-145).In the present study, within the EU funded SMILE project, Brassica carinata was chosen as a likelynon-food crop suitable for biodiesel production and biochemicals extraction in Campania region, thanksto the perfect overlapping of climate conditions and cultivar constraints. Two alternative scenarios wereexplored: cropping B. carinata on marginal lands of Campania region for energy purpose only or withinthe biorefinery perspective of energy, biomaterials and biochemicals. Environmental, energetic,economic, technological and social aspects were assessed by means of an expanded LCA approach,named SUMMA (SUstainability Multimethod Multiscale Assessment). The capability of the evaluationframework adopted in accounting for crucial steps and performances of the agricultural process on theterritory was incremented by combining the full view of the extended LCA with the visualization powerof GIS (Geographic Information System).2. Material and MethodsBrassica carinataThe selection of the crop is crucial. Several criteria need to be considered: potential yield per hectare,adaptation to climate conditions, field requirement (fertilizers, pest and weed control), biomasscharacteristics, potential use, among others (EPOBIO, 2007). B. carinata was herein chosen because44