Carbon footprint of the globe artichoke supply chain in Southern Italy: From agricultural production to industrial processing

Abstract

The globe artichoke represents one of the leading vegetables worldwide, accounting for a global production of 1.52 Mt in 2020, and Italy is ranked as the top producer with over 0.37 Mt. Under the environmental perspective, it is considered as a large greenhouse gases emitter, and its environmental sustainability, from agricultural production to industrial transformation, should be enhanced. The present research assesses the global warming potential of the globe artichoke crop in the Apulia region (Southern Italy) through the carbon footprint (CF) method (ISO/TS 14067:2018), and it evaluates the CO2eq emissions associated with input acquisition, artichoke cultivation and industrial processing. It also discusses strategies to reduce GHG emissions by optimizing the artichoke supply chain, according to a circular economy perspective. The main functional unit is 1 High-Density-Polyethylene (HDPE) drum of 229 kg, composed of 150 kg of drained finished “rustic artichoke” 70 kg of preserving liquid, and 9 kg of HDPE drum. Results reveal that the CF is 335.84 kg CO2eq, of which 276.86 kg CO2eq are generated during the agricultural production and 58.97 kg CO2eq during the industrial processing. CO2eq emissions could be reduced by increasing crop yield per ha, or by substituting chemical fertilizers with manure, PK3 fertilizer and bio stimulants. Under the circular economy lens, artichoke waste biomass could be used to produce: (a) bioenergy; (b) bio-stimulants and biomaterials; and (c) inulin. The research represents the first article, which assesses the CF of either the agricultural production or the industrial processing in the artichoke supply chain.