Environmental impact of screenhouse and open-field cultivation using a life cycle analysis: the case study of green bean production

Abstract

The social demand for environmentally friendly agricultural production requires technologies that help preserve the environment under sustainable criteria whilst providing high-quality products that guarantee food safety. This study evaluates the environmental damages attributed to different alternatives for screenhouse as well as open-field cropping systems for green beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) during their life cycle by applying the life cycle analysis (LCA) in an inland area of the province of Granada, Spain, during two spring–autumn crop cycles (2008 and 2009). The aim of this evaluation was to select and improve the cultivation techniques, equipment, and structures by trying to minimize their impact on the surroundings and natural resources.The green bean cropping systems analysed were: a screenhouse (S), a screenhouse equipped with a misting system (SM), and a control (open-field, OF). The stages considered in the LCA study were the infrastructure and the crop cycle. The OF treatment showed the greatest environmental impact in most categories due to its lower yields. Under our experimental conditions, the misting system was justified (from the environmental standpoint) providing the yields were higher than those obtained without the misting (S). All the treatments in 2009 produced a greater impact than in 2008 due to climatic conditions that sharply reduced production. The LCA study has shown the importance of reaching a minimum yield to justify the environmental impact of different treatments.