The increasing customer awareness and supporting regulation on environmentally-friendly products around the globe has fostered the need for revealing environmental performance information on their label, using an instrument called ecolabel. Ecolabeling system requires a life cycle consideration for the product, and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) serves as a method to perform the assessment for the entire product’s life cycle. In the field of food industry, specifically the tea industry, a 2014 report by International Institute for Sustainable Development showed a growing influence of ecolabel in the global market. Ecolabel and LCA become important tools for improving product competitiveness. Meanwhile, tea as one of Indonesia’s main commodity has faced a challenging competition in the international market as indicated by decreasing export—despite increasing global demand—in recent year. This study reviews the ecolabeling system in Indonesia and LCA for food products. Furthermore, this study also investigates the potential application of ecolabel and LCA to improve the competitiveness of the tea industry. According to the study, the implementation of ecolabeling for tea still faces some challenging issues due to the supporting certification scheme and customer perspective. On the contrary, research on LCA for food products provides a promising application to improve tea product competitiveness. Therefore, this study recommended that, while educating people more toward ecolabeling, research on LCA should be continuously conducted to support the implementation of ecolabel in the long term.

Toxic metals significantly influence agricultural crop yields and adversely affect animals and humans. Hence, in the current study impact of different strains of phosphorus-solubilizing bacteria (PSB) and levels of phosphorus on the solubility of phosphorus and the stabilization of heavy metals in contaminated soil were studied in a greenhouse pot experiment in 2022. The PSB strains included Bacillus CUM6, Bacillus DUM7, and Bacillus PIS7. Phosphorus was applied at rates of 40, 60, and 80 kg P2O5 ha-1 using single superphosphate, with a basal dose of 120 kg N and 60 kg K2O ha-1. The experiment followed a randomized, two-factorial design. Maize plants (variety "Azam") were inoculated with the PSB strains. Consequently, combining Bacillus PIS7 with 80 kg P2O5 ha-1 significantly increased both fresh and dry maize biomass (35.33 and 24.56 g pot-1) compared to the control (unspiked soil). Phosphorus bioavailability (7.07 and 5.14 mg kg-1) significantly improved with 80 kg ha-1 phosphorus and Bacillus PIS7. Heavy metal concentrations in soil (Cd, Pb, Cr, and Ni) decreased significantly at 80 kg ha-1 phosphorus and Bacillus PIS7, and Cd concentrations in plants decreased to 3.31 mg kg-1 with Bacillus DUM7 and to 2.96, 0.42, and 1.33 mg kg-1 with Bacillus PIS7. The application of PSB strains and phosphorus fertilizer reduced heavy metal concentrations. Notably, 80 kg P2O5 ha-1 with Bacillus PIS7 showed the best performance. Phosphorus uptake increased significantly (0.106 mg pot-1), while heavy metal uptake (Cd, Pb, and Cr) decreased linearly with increasing phosphorus levels and PSB strains. Bacillus PIS7 with 80 kg P2O5 ha-1 had the lowest heavy metal translocation, doing better than the control and other PSB strains (Bacillus CUM6 and Bacillus DUM7). Soil characteristics indicated increased organic matter content (0.73%) and decreased pH (7.61) and electrical conductivity (0.17 dSm-1) with applied phosphorus and PSB strains, suggesting enhanced phosphorus bioavailability and reduced heavy metal concentrations. In conclusion, adding 80 kg P2O5 ha-1 with Bacillus PIS7 helps plants grow better when they are stressed by heavy metals and keeps Cd, Pb, Cr, and Ni stabilized in the soil.

Renewability Indicator (RI) and Cumulative Degree of Perfection (CDP) were used to observe sustainability of Gamboeng Tea. The assessment then compared with black tea process in Black Sea Region in Turkey from the previous study. Calculation of exergy for Gamboeng fresh tea leaf had already described in Part.1. Since the main process for both production was drying, then tropical humid climate in Gamboeng is the main challenge to increase efficiency, and thus, renewability. This second part described the significant improvement of renewability had applied in Gamboeng by using wood pellet in rotary pannier. Further recommended improvement were by installing better humidity detector and connected to the process control so the process can adapt the ambient change which the relative humidity can be varied from 65% and up to 92%.

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Renewability Indicator (RI) and Cumulative Degree of Perfection (CDP) are employed as tools to assess sustainability of Gamboeng Tea. The assessment then compared with black tea process in Black Sea Region in Turkey from the previous study. Exergy analysis for Gamboeng tea was decribed in two part of articles. This first part was desribing the energy and exergy calculation for producing fresh tea leaf in Gamboeng tea plantation. The energy and exergy utilization for black sea fresh tea leaves was calculated to be 807.83 MJ/t of fresh leaf, 273.43MJ/t of fresh leaf, respectively. For the Gamboeng green tea, the energy and exergy utilization were 1496.38 MJ/ t of fresh leaf and 821.86 MJ/t of fresh leaf, respectively.The second part desribed cooperation of wood pellet with ambient-adapting controller uin tea factorywas a contribution from Gamboeng Tea for achieving Sustainable Development Goal which is affordable and clean energy and also an applicable climate action.