Evaluating the environmental impacts of conventional and organic apple production in Nova Scotia, Canada, through life cycle assessment

Sarah Keyes, Peter Tyedmers, Karen Beazley

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

81 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Life cycle assessment (LCA) was used to characterize the environmental performance and potential improvement opportunities related to conventional and organic apple systems in Nova Scotia, Canada. The goal was to quantify and evaluate resources and energy required for production, storage, and transportation, determining how each supply chain sub-system contributes to relevant global scale environmental burdens. Importantly, scenario models were constructed to explore performance improvement opportunities related to key supply chain inputs. Results indicate that up to point of harvest, the combustion of diesel fuel, production and associated field-level emissions of fertilizers (i.e. synthetic and manure), and inputs to pest and disease management were major contributors to environmental impacts on both conventional and organic orchards. Extending system boundaries to cradle-to-retail locations (both local and distal), revealed, somewhat surprisingly, that electricity needed for long-term storage resulted in substantial burdens, highlighting the problems of coal-based electricity generation in Nova Scotia. Consuming locally produced apples when in season was found to be environmentally preferable to those requiring year round storage, while transport by freight ship is more favorable than long distance transport truck delivery.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)40-51
Number of pages12
JournalJournal of Cleaner Production
Volume104
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Oct 1 2015

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

ASJC Scopus Subject Areas

  • Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment
  • General Environmental Science
  • Strategy and Management
  • Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

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