Life cycle assessment applied to different citrus farming systems in Spain and Italy

The increasing environmental awareness of the actors of agro-food supply chains has led to the implementation of new tools to analyze the impacts generated during agricultural practices. The impacts depend not only on the production system but also on the farmer’s management choices, in terms of input allocation, and on the production site, in terms of soil and climate conditions. In order to assess the environmental impact of conventional and organic farming systems on citrus growing in Italy and Spain, a life cycle assessment method has been implemented. The results show the organic system to be more sustainable than conventional and they could be useful indicators for correcting and modifying agricultural practices.