Life cycle assessment and carbon footprint of banana cultivation

Description

This chapter presents concepts and tools around the life cycle assessment (LCA) and carbon footprint (CFP) of the banana value chain. Bananas are the world’s most exported fresh fruit in volume and value and a key crop for millions of households in developing countries providing food, nutrition and income. As one of the most traded fruit, including transoceanic transportation, more attention is being paid to the social and environmental impact along the whole value-chain of bananas. LCA and CFP give farmers, individuals and multinationals the opportunity to identify GHG hotspots along the banana value chain and adopt practices reducing or offsetting the CFP. The FAO tailored the EX-Ante Carbon-balance Tool for value chain tool (EX-ACT VC) to the banana value chain (EX-ACT BVC) allowing analysis of its CFP, resilience and socio-economic factors. The present chapter gives an example of an Ecuadorian and Peruvian banana value chain analysis with EX-ACT BVC.

Table of contents

1 Introduction 2 Assessing the environmental impact of banana production 3 An integrated socio-economic carbon footprint banana value chain tool 4 Future trends and conclusion 5 Where to look for further information 6 Abbreviations 7 References