Tag: GHG Emissions
Life cycle-based environmental methods and indicators for sustainable consumption and production in New Zealand food systems
An extensive LCA study was then undertaken for the orchard stage of the New Zealand avocado value chain, to guide the development of indicators for facilitating continuous environmental improvement. Data were collected from 49 orchards across the three main growing regions in New Zealand, plus 4 orchards that were recently established and thus classified as being in the non-productive and low production years of the avocado orchard life cycle. Individual orchard, regional and national level impact
Challenging the Sustainability Narrative: Unveiling the hidden socioecological costs of plant-based alternatives.
This thesis investigates the hidden socio-ecological costs associated with plant-based alternatives, with a particular focus on avocados produced in Michoacán, Mexico. This study employs a convergent mixed-methods design using three distinct components: Lifecycle Analysis (LCA), Emergy Analysis (EmA) and Political Ecology (PE). The LCA revealed a carbon footprint of 5.96 kg CO₂e per 1kg avocado, placing avocado production on par with other high-impact animal food sources, such as poultry. The
Valorization of waste biomass via an integrated gasification system for the co-production of dimethyl ether and urea
Energy and chemicals such as urea have a large carbon footprint associated to greenhouse gas emissions and must be developed sustainably for the sake of society. This work presents the simulations of a system to produce Dimethyl Ether (DME) and urea from the air gasification of waste biomass coupled with carbon capture technology. The potential of different waste biomasses (avocado stone, palm tree husk and sugar cane bagasse) in the co-production of DME and urea was assessed in terms of reaction,
Renewable Energies and Biochar: A Green Alternative for Reducing Carbon Footprints Using Tree Species from the Southern Andean Region of Ecuador
The urgent need for sustainable strategies to mitigate climate change has spurred the development of efficient carbon sequestration methods with minimal greenhouse gas emissions, presenting promising opportunities to produce biochar and, with this bioproduct, enhance crop productivity. Therefore, this research aimed to evaluate the carbon footprint produced by the low-temperature slow pyrolysis of biomass obtained from the pruning residues of four tree species present in parks and gardens of the
Avocado production in different biomes throughout Peru: do differing cultivation practices translate into differences in environmental impacts?
PURPOSE: Avocado production in Peru takes place in different biomes and under different agricultural systems (e.g., conventional, organic, or agroforestry). Therefore, it is important to understand differences in the environmental profile of avocado production within the diversity of these cultivation systems. Hence, the main objective of the study was to conduct a cradle-to-gate attributional Life Cycle Assessment of avocado production in Peru by small and medium-sized producers, under multiple
Estimating the Water and Carbon Footprints of Growing Avocados in the Munich Metropolitan Region Using Waste Heat as a Water-Energy-Food Nexus Potential
Avocados, which have been labeled a superfood and are very popular around the world, are often grown in areas with water scarcity and have long-distance transports to their end consumer. Water and carbon footprints could be reduced by using greenhouse farming, waste heat and rainwater. This study aims to determine whether avocados and other exotic fruits could be locally or regionally grown in greenhouse systems in Bavaria heated using waste heat and examines whether this approach decreases the resulting