Environmental Impact
The environmental performances of durum wheat cultivated in 3 different
experimental fields were evaluated:
▪ Yeşilsırt
▪ Faculty
▪ Gazitepe
In all the locations traditional VS sustainable cultivation systems were compared.
The emissions caused by fertilizers use were calculated with the emission factors reported in the Product Category Rules (PCR) for arable crops (Version 2.0), published by the International EPD ®
System and available at: (http://www.environdec.com/en/PCR/Detail/?Pcr=8804)
Product Category Rules (PCR) define the rules and requirements for EPDs of a certain product category. They are a key part of ISO 14025 as they enable transparency and comparability between
EPDs. The International EPD® System is a global programme for environmental declarations based on ISO 14025.
CARBON FOOTPRINT
A product carbon footprint is the total amount of greenhouse gases produced along the entire life cycle. It is expressed in equivalent mass of carbon dioxide (CO2-eq). In agriculture a significant contribution is given by the emission of nitrous oxide (N2O) due to the fertilizers use.
WATER FOOTPRINT
The water footprint is the water both direct and indirect required to manufacture a product along its entire life cycle. Water footprint is defined as green water (evapotranspiration of water), as blue water (directly used fresh surface and groundwater) and as grey water (the volume of water that is required to dilute pollutants so that the quality of the water remains above agreed quality standards).
ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT
The ecological footprint measures the area of biologically productive land and water required to provide the resources used and absorb the carbon dioxide waste generated along the entire life cycle. It is measured in standard units called
global hectares (g ha).
The KPIs were calculated with the following methods:
▪ Carbon footprint with the factors from the 5th assessment report of the IPCC (2013)
▪ Water footprint with the methodology of the Water Footprint Network (http://waterfootprint.org)
▪ Ecological footprint with the methodology of the Global Footprint Network (http://www.footprintnetwork.org)
▪ The key contributors of Carbon footprint (CF) are production and direct emissions of fertilizers. CF is also related to yield, since the emissions/ha are divided by the production/ha. CF is significant lower in sustainable trials than in traditional trials for all treatments (9% lower in average). The CF reduction is mainly due to a nitrogen fertilizer and fuel saving, while the pesticides reduction is less significant.
▪ No difference in Water footprint (WF) is highlighted between traditional and sustainable system for all three locations.
▪ What most influences Ecological footprint (EF) is land use (and consequently yield). In Faculty and Gezitepe EF is lower in sustainable trials, while in Yeşilsirt no difference were underlined.