Evaluación de la carga ambiental asociada a un cultivo de hortensias en La Ceja del Tambo (Antioquia-Colombia) mediante el Análisis de Ciclo de Vida

Abstract

Se evaluó un cultivo de hortensias de exportación en el municipio de La Ceja del Tambo (Antioquia, Colombia) a través de un Análisis de Ciclo de Vida (ACV). El alcance fue de la puerta a la puerta contemplando las etapas de siembra, cultivo y empacado. El inventario para el análisis fue obtenido a partir de observaciones de campo, relacionado con la base de datos Ecoinvent 3.3 y posteriormente procesado en el software Umberto NXT LCA 14. Las metodologías Recipe Midpoint y Endpoint se utilizaron para evaluar las cargas ambientales del sistema de producción sobre las diferentes categorías de impacto (ocupación del suelo, cambio climático, agotamiento de los recursos fósiles y agotamiento de los metales). Los resultados mostraron que la etapa de cultivo presentó el mayor impacto sobre el agotamiento de recursos fósiles con un valor de 1,08 kg petróleo Eq. Finalmente, mediante la toma de decisiones ambientales se realizaron las respectivas recomendaciones para la reducción de los impactos resultantes, principalmente en la etapa de cultivo. Se realizó una simulación con los cambios propuestos en el sistema productivo, logrando una reducción del 39% de los impactos ambientales totales del mismo.

Life-Cycle Assessment in Hydrangea Cultivation in Colombia and Their Cleaner Production Strategies

“…These results are consistent with those of other LCA studies conducted on flower crops with the same system boundaries. In the LCA studies on hydrangeas [3], chrysanthemums [4], and roses [7,8], the cultivation stage was found to have the greatest environmental impact. The use of inputs, such as fertilizers, pesticides, plastics, and their These results are consistent with those of other LCA studies conducted on flower crops with the same system boundaries.…”

“…The use of inputs, such as fertilizers, pesticides, plastics, and their These results are consistent with those of other LCA studies conducted on flower crops with the same system boundaries. In the LCA studies on hydrangeas [3], chrysanthemums [4], and roses [7,8], the cultivation stage was found to have the greatest environmental impact. The use of inputs, such as fertilizers, pesticides, plastics, and their respective upstream production and transport processes, was identified as a major contributor to the impact of the cultivation phase.…”

“…The industry is also present in several municipalities in eastern Antioquia, Colombia, where the local population is strongly committed to its development [3]. La Paz Province Sustainability 2024, 16, 887 2 of 17 (the focus of this study) is a prime example of a region where commercial flower production has been a longstanding tradition.…”

“…Only one study has been conducted on hydrangeas (Hydrangea macrophylla as the botanical name and hydrangea as the common name) by Aguirre et al (2017), where the functional unit was 22 kg of flowers, corresponding to 60 units packed in a box [3]. The study highlighted the most significant environmental impacts, with climate change being the most important category in the transport phase.…”

“…The study highlighted the most significant environmental impacts, with climate change being the most important category in the transport phase. Eutrophication and acidification were the most relevant in the cultivation phase due to the use of materials such as fertilizers, pesticides, and plastics [3].…”