Traditional plastic materials during nursery and cultivation, and packaging, responsible for the main greenhouse gas emissions by fresh raspberry and blueberry industries

This study examined the emissions produced during the pre-farm, farm and post-farm phases of the production cycle of raspberries and giant American whortleberries (blueberries) cultivated in one of the best-adapted areas in northern Italy. The evaluating system has been LCA, who determines the environmental sustainability of products and processes; it has been been applied to quantify the emissions of berry fruits. The pre-farm phase included the greenhouse gas emissions from the production of plants in the nursery and the transportation of the plants to the production farms. The farm phase involved the emissions of greenhouse gases from chemical products, the water used for irrigation, the generation of waste, and the consumption of electricity and other energy. The post-farm phase comprised the transportation of the products to the distribution centre (DC) and their storage in the DC. The use phase is not included in the system, nor is transportation from the supermarket to the home of the final consumer, but the disposal of the packaging is nevertheless taken into account. Indeed, the use of traditional plastic materials during both the field phase (nursery and cultivation) and the post-harvesting phase (packaging) produced the greatest estimated impact.? SourcesGirgenti V., Peano C., Bounous M., Baudino, C. (2013).? A life cycle assessment of non-renewable energy use and greenhouse gas emission associated with blueberry and raspberry production in northern Italy. Sci. Total Environ., 458?460, 415?418. Picture by The daily meal?