A Life Cycle Assessment and Social Risk Assessment of Organic and Conventional Potatoes in Italy

This study aims to evaluate the environmental and social sustainability of organic and conventional potatoes in Italy using the life cycle thinking approach. Both life cycle assessment and social risk assessment analyses covered agricultural production, industrial processing, and packaging. The results highlight that agriculture and refrigeration are the main environmental hotspots in both systems, with water consumption being the most affected category, and electricity use during the industrial phase being important for several impacts. Organic potatoes received a lower impact for marine ecotoxicity and water consumption but were higher for land use than conventional potatoes, while the two systems were quite similar for human toxicity. The social risk assessment indicated that health and safety, followed by labour rights and decent work, are the most critical areas in the life cycle examined, especially in the Italian agricultural context. Finally, this study suggests that improving energy efficiency, increasing the share of renewable electricity, and strengthening circular flows could enhance sustainability in potato production.