Environmental Life Cycle Assessment in Organic and Conventional Rice Farming Systems: Using a Cradle to Farm Gate Approach

Abstract

The rising demand for agricultural products and expanding public awareness of environmental friendliness have led to the adoption of the organic farming system rather than the conventional one. The life cycle assessment (LCA) concept is a frequently used method to examine the environmental impacts of any activity across its entire life cycle. This research is the first use of LCA for the impacts of vermicompost and cattle manure as organic fertilizers in rice farming. The main goal of this study was to compare the environmental impacts of conventional and organic rice farming. This paper uses midpoint attributional LCA to analyze environmental damages during rice production. The four primary harm categories used in this strategy to categorize the environmental effects were: (1) climate change, (2) human health, (3) ecosystem quality, and (4) resources. The inventory data for the agricultural stage were obtained through farmer interviews. The system boundaries were set to cradle to farm gate, and 1 ton of final product (dry matter) was used as the functional unit. The results show that in all main damage categories, except for particulate matter formation, stratospheric ozone depletion, mineral resource scarcity, and freshwater eutrophication, conventional rice production has higher environmental impacts than organic rice production. Overall, organic rice production is more effective in diminishing the negative environmental effects of farming compared to conventional rice production.

Environmental Assessment of Dryland and Irrigated Winter Wheat Cultivation under Compost Fertilization Strategies

“…The results showed that compost application reduced FETP by 19.1% in dryland and 36.2% in irrigated farming. The toxicity impact is mostly caused by the emission of nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ) into the air or soil [ 67 ], which is significantly reduced by compost application in both dryland and irrigated farming ( Table 2 and Table 3 ). Soil toxicity is related to the use of fertilizers and chemical pesticides in agriculture, and soil is a significant pollution sink due to particle adsorption on the soil surface [ 68 ].…”

Long-Term Straw Incorporation under Controlled Irrigation Improves Soil Quality of Paddy Field and Rice Yield in Northeast China

“…In recent years, organic amendments such as manure, compost, and straw have been used to improve the environment for rice production [11]. Among them, straw incorporation is recognized as an effective method to maintain or improve rice yield and soil quality [12].…”

An Evaluation of Potato Fertilization and the Potential of Farmers to Reduce the Amount of Fertilizer Used Based on Yield and Nutrient Requirements

“…While fertilization plays an important role in ensuring food security, over-fertilization will reduce crop yields, accelerate soil acidification, increase greenhouse gas emissions, and ultimately reduce economic income [17][18][19][20]. Organic farming has less negative impact on the environment than conventional farming based on chemical fertilizers [21].The long use of mineral fertilizers has caused irreparable damage to soil structures, mineral cycles, soil microbial flora, and plants [22][23][24]. Intensified N fertilization decreased the content of dry matter and starch in potato tubers [25,26].…”