Environmental behaviour of blueberry production at small-scale in Northern Spain and improvement opportunities

The production of berry, a fruit highly appreciated by consumers, has considerably increased in the last years. Europe Union has 1.55 millions of smallholdings dedicated to blueberry farming. Actually, it is an important sector on Spain agrifood exports, especially in Asturias. In order to increase sustainability in crops, it is necessary to identify the key environmental aspects. Blueberry cultivation methods are well documented in bibliography, but Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) researches are virtually inexistent in Europe. For this reason, this work has studied from an environmental perspective four blueberry orchards sit in Asturias (Northern Spain) and the field agricultural practises used. LCA results showed that the main environmental impacts of blueberry production were originated by the use of fertilisers, followed by the use of fossil fuels, plastic and paper materials and incineration of pruning. Significant differences between conventional and organic crops have not been found. The carbon footprints (CF) obtained in this study were between 0.32 kg and 1.66 kg CO2-eq/kg blueberry. CF values obtained in two of the systems analysed were within the literature ranges, between 0.20 and 0.80 kg CO2-eq. per kg of fruit. However, higher values were found in the other two orchards. Environment improvements have been proposed for each particular case. Results here obtained could be used to support policy changes, such as the implementation of sustainable practices in order to lead to a more sustainable blueberry production with lower GHG emissions.

Automated summary

This study examined the environmental impacts of four blueberry orchards in Asturias, Spain from an environmental perspective. It found that the main environmental issues in blueberry production were the use of fertilisers, fossil fuels, plastic and paper materials, and incineration of pruning. There were no significant differences between organic and conventional crops. The results suggest that implementing sustainable practices could lead to a more environmentally friendly blueberry production with lower greenhouse gas emissions.