LCA Food 2012 in Saint Malo, France! - Manifestations et colloques ...

GROUP 4, SESSION B: CROP PRODUCTION SYSTEMS 8 th Int. Conference on LCA in the
Agri-Food Sector, 1-4 Oct 2012
818
109. Life cycle assessment of long-lived perennial cropping systems:
almond and pistachio production in California
Elias Marvinney 1,* , Alissa Kendall, Sonja Brodt, Theodore Dejong
1 University of California, Davis, California, USA, * Corresponding author. E-mail: emarvinney@ucdavis.edu
This study characterises typical almond and pistachio orchard production systems in the U.S. state of California.
These industrialised agro-ecosystems are of great economic and environmental importance, encompassing
more than 361,300 ha of the state’s agricultural land and yielding more than 85% of global almond
exports and 50% of global pistachio exports. In 2009, 240,000 tonnes of almonds and 82,000 tonnes of pistachio
were imported by the European Union (USDA 2009). Commercial nut orchards in California’s Central
Valley demand significant agrochemical inputs, irrigation, and fuel for mechanised field operations throughout
their lifespan - up to 25 years for almond (Duncan et al 2011) and 80 years for pistachio (Beede et al
2008). Due to high-intensity inputs and long lifespans of these systems, the California nut industry is responsible
for significant emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs) and other atmospheric pollutants.
Orchards have the potential to sequester carbon in soils and/or biomass (Kroodsma and Field 2006). In California,
much of this biomass is used to produce electricity at regional electricity generation plants, widely
distributed in California (Wallace 2007). The potential for sequestration versus emissions offset through use
of waste biomass as an energy feedstock is dependent on management characteristics, orchard lifespan, and
other factors. Here we present a comparative assessment of the net GHG footprint of California almond and
pistachio production, accounting for material and energy inputs of production up to farm gate, excluding
processing and distribution as well as annual variation in operations and inputs as trees mature.
The study also explores the potential for carbon sequestration and GHG offset under several possible scenarios
for both pistachio and almond. Data were gathered from cost-return studies, farmer surveys, and published
literature. Transportation characteristics, in-field emissions from fuel combustion, and soil ecological
processes were independently modelled. Our analysis provides information for growers on where to focus
GHG reduction efforts and offers insights regarding the trade-offs between energy and material inputs and
field emissions under different management scenarios, as well as providing an assessment of the typical
greenhouse gas and energy footprint of an economically important export commodity.
References
Beede R. H., Kallsen C. E., Holtz B. A., Klonsky K. M., Moura R. L. D., 2008. Sample costs to establish an
orchard and produce pistachios: San Joaquin Valley South – Low volume Irrigation. University of California
Cooperative Extension. Davis CA.
Duncan, R. A., Verdegaal, P. S., Holtz, B. A., Doll, D. A., Klonsky, K. A., Moura, R. L. D., 2011. Sample
costs to establish an orchard and produce almonds: San Joaquin Valley North – Microsprinkler Irrigation.
University of California Cooperative Extension. Davis CA.
USDA Office of Global Analysis, 2009. Tree Nuts: World Markets and Trade. United States Department of
Agriculture, Foreign Agriculture Service. Washington, D.C.
Wallace H. N., 2007. Feasibility of a California Energy Feedstock Supply Cooperative. California Center for
Cooperative Development. Davis, CA.