Energy-water-food security nexus in mung bean production in Iran: An LCA approach

Abstract

Mung bean is a very important crop in Iran in both socio-economic and nutritional terms. However, although discussions on food and food security increasingly include sustainability issues, there are no precedents in academic literature that analyze in depth the nexus between energy, water use and food security in relation to this crop in Iran from an agri-food system approach. Therefore, our main objective is to assess the energy-water-food security (EWFs) nexus and the environmental impact of mung bean production in Iran from a “cradle to fork” approach using different nutritional units (1 kg of beans, 1 kg of proteins, and 1000 kcal) and load allocation criteria. In addition, an economic analysis of the farms is carried out. The results show that the on-farm production of mung beans is the phase where the largest environmental impacts are concentrated (between 40 % and 96 % of them, including those related to water and energy use), while cooking accounts for more than 50 % of the carbon footprint. The non-renewable cumulative energy demand (NR CED) and total water footprint (TWF) per kilogram of beans (“cradle to fork”) is estimated at 27.4 MJ and 1.55 m3 and the farm Net Margin (NM) is estimated at 3,677 USD per ha. The paper discusses whether mung bean is a low-impact option for protein production, especially when compared to animal products and the importance of using different functional units and load allocation criteria to address the issue of EWFs and sustainability. In this regard, further research is needed to improve the environmental efficiency of bean production, which is critical for promoting sustainable diets in line with food security goals.