Abstract
Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a powerful methodology for the study of health impacts and public policies. We performed this study to quantitatively explain the potential health impacts on disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) of corn produced in Mexico and imported from the United States of America (U.S.) from 1984 until 2014. The processes are hybrid and organic corn production. The functional unit was defined as 1 ton of corn production. Results indicate a total value of 178,431, 244,175, and 283,426 DALYs of three decades: 1984–1993, 1994–2003, and 2004–2013, of Mexican production; the U.S. production and transport were also calculated, showing values of 29,815, 65,837, and 107,729 for the same three decades. Additionally, DALYs were obtained for the category of human health and climate change by functional unit: 802.31 (1984–1993), 802.67 (1994–2003), and 803.92 (2004–2013), and for imported corn transported to Mexico from the U.S., 859.12 (1984–2013). DALYs on human toxicity were obtained: 99.05 (1984–1993), 99.05 (1994–2003), and 99.04 (2004–2013), and for the corn imported and transported to Mexico from the U.S., 116.25 (1984–2013). Conclusions: Environmental and health impacts in terms of DALYs are higher when corn is imported versus the corn produced in Mexico. Environmental health and nominal corn cultivation and transport impacts have increased as a result of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Mexico needs to redefine its public policies to suffer less of an environmental burden from corn to ensure global environmental health and food security.
Highlights
IntroductionCorn is the second most cultivated crop with the highest production worldwide with 615,533,645
Corn is the second most cultivated crop with the highest production worldwide with 615,533,645Mton [1]
Since North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) was introduced, we found that, by functional unit, the impacts are lessened by producing corn in Mexico than to produce and transport the imported corn from the U.S.; it was found that the production, by functional unit, in Mexico is more sustainable than importing the corn from the U.S It is clear that transporting corn from large distances has a substantial impact
Summary
Corn is the second most cultivated crop with the highest production worldwide with 615,533,645. Mton (millions of tons) [1]. The U.S is the largest producer with 273,820,066 Mton, while Mexico produces 22,069,254 Mton. Corn is the main crop and food base of Mexico, with 27% of agricultural land, comprised of 2.8 million Hectares of corn farmlands [2]. During the period of 1996–2006, the cultivation of corn occupied 51% of all cultivated and harvested lands, generating 7.4% of the total agricultural production, and representing 30% of the total value of production [3]. There has been a growing concern about the sustainability of agricultural and food systems and the unforeseen effects on environment and human health [4]. Little has been done about the subject of NAFTA in relationship with the health and environmental impacts between both
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