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
111. Comparison of the sustainability of different potato production
systems: use of AgBalance methodology to identify strengths and
weaknesses of organic, conventional and genetically modified diseaseresistant
potato cultivation
Martijn Gipmans 1,* , Jan Schöneboom 2 , Brigitte Achatz 2 , Thorsten Storck 3 , Markus Prüfe 4 , Manuel Knauer 4 ,
Peter Saling 2
1 BASF Plant Science Company GmbH, c/o metanomics GmbH, Tegeler Weg 33, 10589, Berlin, Germany, 2
BASF SE, Sustainability Center, GU/NE – Z7, 67056 Ludwigshafen, Germany, 3 BASF Plant Science
Company GmbH, GB/P, Agrarzentrum Li444, 67117 Limburgerhof, Germany, 4 BASF Plant Science
Company GmbH, GBB/E, Agrarzentrum Li444, 67117 Limburgerhof, Germany, Corresponding author. Email:
martijn.gipmans@basf.com
AgBalance is a new LCA-based methodology to assess sustainability in the agricultural value chain in a
comprehensive and holistic way. AgBalance is based on BASF’s Eco-Efficiency and SEEBALANCE Analysis,
to which, in consultation with international stakeholders and experts, new indicators specific for agriculture
were added. AgBalance integrates over 200 data points in up to 70 indicators covering ecological, economical
and social aspects of agriculture and received a validation of coherence and functionality from Det
Norske Veritas (DNV), TÜV Süd as well as the National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) in the US.
Herein we present a case study using the AgBalance methodology, that investigated the factors determining
the sustainability of different potato production systems in Germany. In general terms, potatoes are cultivated
either using organic standards as defined by the EC Regulation 834/2007 or using conventional cultivation
practices.
Potato late blight is a fungal disease caused by Phytophthora infestans, which accounts for annual losses
(costs of control and damage) estimated at more than € 1,000,000,000 in the EU alone. BASF has developed
a potato with a full and durable resistance against late blight through introduction of resistance genes from a
wild potato by genetic modification (GM) technology into a modern European potato variety
We compared the sustainability of organic, conventional and genetically modified (GM) disease-resistant
potato cultivation using the AgBalance method. Agronomic input data is taken from KTBL publications, the
state office for agriculture in Lower-Saxony, federal ministry agriculture statistics and further public databases
such as EUROSTAT. This data is representative of the 2007/08 growing season. Average yields are
assumed to be 45 t/ha for the conventional and GM-, and 25 t/ha for the organic cultivation system.
Under conditions of moderate Phytophthora infestation, the aggregated sustainability impact score of the GM
potato is similar to conventional varieties. The organic cultivation system receives a somewhat worse impact
score, mainly due to the lower yield and the use of copper hydroxide in relatively high amounts. Applying
scenario analysis, the effect of increased levels of infestation pressure is shown to result in significant environmental
and economic benefits of the GMO potato, as conventional and organic production systems are
affected by increased application rates of fungicides and yield losses. At the level of individual impact categories,
there are marked strengths and weaknesses in each of the three alternatives. The GMO and conventional
production are associated with fewer burdens through land use, acidification potential and emissions to
water. Organic potato on the other hand is associated with less pressure on biodiversity in agricultural areas,
less energy and resource consumption and global warming potential. On the economic side, there are no major
differences in macro-economic indicators such as farm profits and subsidies, but production costs for
organic potatoes are much higher. The differences in the social stakeholder categories are rather small, which
is partly related to trade-offs between indicators that relate to benefits (positive implication, e.g. wages) as
well as to burdens (negative implication, e.g., working accidents).
Taken together, AgBalance has proven to be a useful methodology to look at the sustainability of potato
cultivation in a holistic way. AgBalance identifies the strengths and weaknesses of the different potato production
systems and can deliver guidance for sustainable development in potato cultivation.
References
KTBL: Betriebsplanung Landwirtschaft 2006/7, 20. Auflage 2006. ISBN: 3-939371-07-6
Saling P., Kicherer A., Dittrich-Kraemer B., Wittlinger R., Zombik W., Schmidt I., Schrott W., Schmidt S.,
2002. Eco-efficiency Analysis by BASF: The Method. Int. J. Life Cyle Assess. 7, 203-218.
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