Sustainability Assessment of Greenhouse Pepper Production Scenarios in Southeastern Spain

Abstract

Life cycle costing (LCC), combined with life cycle assessment (LCA), is a useful tool not only to assess the sustainability of a specific production system, but also to assess possible scenarios. Greenhouse pepper cultivation in Campo de Cartagena (Murcia, Spain) has evolved over the last three decades towards a production system that is increasingly respectful of the environment and in line with the demands of European markets. However, it has to deal with changing circumstances that affect production and environmental costs: specifically, the substitution of chemical disinfection of the soil by plants resistant to nematodes, and a significant increase in the use of desalinated seawater for irrigation. The results of this work, combining LCC and LCA, show that it is a sustainable system with high productivity, the costs associated with the inputs are relatively low, it has great socioeconomic importance, and the environmental impacts are low in relation to the greenhouse production of peppers or tomatoes in other areas, particularly if seeds of resistant varieties are available. In addition, it is a robust system capable of adapting to the changes it faces in the short and medium term, while maintaining its sustainability.

Keywords

• greenhouse pepper production
• life cycle costing
• socioeconomic analysis
• life cycle assessment
• environmental impacts