United States Department of Transportation
i
Greenhouse Gas Emissions in the Life-Cycle of Carrots and Tomatoes: Methods, Data, and Results from a Study of the Types and Amounts of Carrots and Tomatoes Consumed in Sweden. With Arable Land Use
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1997-03-01
[PDF-3.18 MB]
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Abstract:The report was written as a part of an on-going research project called "Environmental Impacts of Quantifiable Consumption Patterns." Methods, data and results form an assessment of the arable land use and some greenhouse gas emissions during part of the life-cycle of the consumed carrots and tomatoes in Sweden during 1992-1993 are presented in the report. The life-cycle was delineated to transportation, storage, farm production and production of fertilizers. Carrots from six countries and tomatoes from four countries were analyzed. The study is reported with full transparency. The results are presented as the use of arable land (in m2) and as the amount of greenhouse gas emissions (in g CO2 equivalents) required to sustain current Swedish consumption patterns of carrots and tomatoes. Emissions per kg of consumed tomato were 10 times higher than for carrots. Emissions from carrots were lowest when they were produced within or close to Sweden, while the opposite was the case for tomatoes. The key issues in the life-cycle of the analyzed carrots and tomatoes are identified and discussed. The general conclusions are that storage may be a key-issue for vegetables with a long durability and adapted to a northern European climate. For vegetables with short durability, the key issue may be transportation if they are not adapted to a northern European climate but still cultivated in the open. The key-issue for vegetables with a short durability may be energy requirements during farm production if the vegetables are not adapted a northern European climate and therefore cultivated under glass.
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