Environmental Evaluation of Greenhouse tomato production in France

File: 

Tomatoes.pdf

Type: 

article

Comparative: 

yes

Publication year: 

2009

Language: 

French

Code: 

Food, Plants

Product: 

Tomatoes

The analysis shows that heating is far from practical in generating the highest environmental impact (regardless of the environmental indicator). The subsystem production is responsible for 90% of global impact, and that of heating systems are 4 to 5 times more important than the ones that are not heated. On average, if the impacts are expressed in kg of tomatoes produced, they are 4.5 times higher in greenhouse cultivation (heated) rather than in tunnel (unheated). However this multiplier decreases slightly if the impacts are expressed in costs of tomatoes produced, this new business unit takes into account the seasonality and quality of production through the market price.

We also note that the methods of production above ground is not necessarily accompanied by a reduction in environmental impacts, especially eutrophication. This is mainly because the methods of recycling drained solutions are still not widespread in tomato production. The toxicological impact associated with pesticide use is significantly reduced in heated greenhouse than in cold tunnel, yet the impact associated with pesticide use itself is negligible compared to the overall impact of the system, mainly dominated by the consequences of the use of heating. The study shows that there is a wide variety of levels of impact based on whether or not it is plastic or glass and the regions studied, such as the north west or the south.

In terms of pesticide usage, it is negligible in greenhouses, while it is very important in tunnel production. The production of tomatoes is best in larger quantities of bulk rather than in clusters as measured by tomatoes per kg, but not in price per tomato. In terms of transportation, consumption of energy for transportation and the different systems of production must be factored in when considering the LCA, but are generally less significant for greenhouse tomato production in the Paris as opposed to the New York City region.