The Cost-Benefits and Risks of Using Raffia Made of Biodegradable Polymers: The Case of Pepper and Tomato Production in Greenhouses

Abstract

The use of plastics in agriculture has increased food production and reduced irrigation, pesticides, and pests. However, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), “disastrous” use has occurred, as agricultural soils are being contaminated and have begun to threaten food security, peoples’ health, and the environment. One of the most challenging plastic wastes that must be removed from plants, and instead recycled, is the raffia used to tutor crops. This work studied the economic risk of introducing raffia made from a biodegradable polymer in greenhouse pepper and tomato crops. An expert survey was carried out to analyze the evolution of breaks throughout the season of four biodegradable raffias: cellulose, cellulose + kraft paper, compostable biopolymer, and jute-rayon, comparing them with a polypropylene control for two years (2019–2020) in pepper and tomato crops. Fuzzy logic-ordered weighted averages (OWA) were used to treat and aggregate this information. Income, costs, and the risk of biodegradable raffia breakage were studied. The results show that the material that performed the best was the biopolymer in the two crops studied, as it presented a much lower risk of breakage. The breaks in tomatoes were higher than those produced in pepper for each material. For the biopolymer, the internal rates of return (3.49% in tomatoes and 8.14% in peppers) and the recovery period (18.50 and 13.45 years for tomato and pepper crops, respectively) were very similar to those of polypropylene.

Influence of Calcium Carbonate Concentration on the Properties of Polypropylene Stretched Flat Tapes Used in Raffia Packaging

“…This process involves the extrusion of flat films and the cutting and drawing of the tapes. Initially, films are produced in a flat die extruder [2][3][4]. In this step, it is essential to control the crystallization of the polymer [5].…”

“…Raffia produced with PP and other polyolefins has significant advantages over natural fibers such as jute, cotton, and sisal [4], despite its difficulty to be recycled. It does not rot, is chemically resistant, lightweight, water resistant, and easy to handle.…”

The Economic Productivity of Water in Agriculture based on Ordered Weighted Average Operators

“…Among these are production per cubic meter consumed or income per cubic meter [2]; but the most representative indicator is the income obtained per euro of water consumption by a farmer. However, it is evident that this information is not always available, so it will be necessary to resort to the use of surveys where the high subjectivity inherent in these estimates must be considered [3].…”