Life Cycle Assessment of Rice Farming Practices in Indonesia

Abstract

Indonesian farmers have practiced rice farming for centuries. However, chemical application and agricultural mechanization emit pollution, i.e., ethylene, CO2, and SO2. This study identifies GHG emissions from four rice farming practices, i.e., conventional, organic, integrated crop management, and rice intensification. OpenLCA 1.11 software was employed to calculate the environmental impacts of rice farming practices (ha/year), and the calculation was based on the CML-IA baseline methodology. This study assesses the life cycle of pre-planting to the production of rice. Diesel-fueled machinery in rice farming contributes most to environmental quality degradation, mainly from water pump and tractor utilization. Conventional rice farming emits the highest pollutants compared to organic rice farming, rice intensification, or integrated crop management. On the contrary, rice intensification generated the lowest pollutants. In conclusion, fossil fuel utilization contributes more to rice farming practices than chemicals or organic fertilizer application.