Revolutionary platform measured the environmental impact of blueberry production
Last week, Fundación Chile informed the country about an important innovation that will allow more information about the environmental impact of the agricultural industry. Ecobase Alimentos is a calculation tool in downloadable Excel format that allows companies, using the Life Cycle Analysis methodology, to obtain the environmental footprint of 16 products from the agri-food and wine export sector, such as apple, table grape, cranberry, salmon, wine, and avocado.
In this way, companies can try different practices, such as, for example, the use of a different agrochemical, or the replacement of some energy source, and compare them with their baseline to see how their environmental footprint is modified before these different practices. Likewise, Ecobase Alimentos shows different categories of impact, such as carbon footprint, consumptive water footprint, ozone deterioration, and land use.
To obtain these data and those referring to the other products and categories, the project included an exhaustive job of collecting information, through more than 150 sources in the sector, both primary and secondary. “This is the first database of its kind in the country, which represents an important starting point on which to continue building. In the future, the quality of the current data could be improved”, explained Michelle Senerman, Leader of the Center for Sustainable Production and Consumption of Fundación Chile.
Associated with the points where their highest footprints are found, the initiative created by Fundación Chile will provide good practice guides so that companies can improve their management, thus achieving greater efficiencies and control of their processes, which may result in a reduction in production costs.
Ecobase Alimentos is accompanied by a national benchmark of the footprints of each product, which allows it to be compared with a national base and see where the biggest gaps are with respect to the country and where relevant improvements can be made. In the same way, "the sector will be able to differentiate itself by seeing itself as one of the most proactive in the world in terms of the application of Life Cycle Analysis, obtaining loyalty and trust from international buyers," added Senerman.
The tool - which has the support of Corfo, is co-executor to the University of La Frontera and also has as partners the Ministry of Agriculture, Salmon Chile, AmiChile and Movi - will be freely available to be downloaded from the website of Fundación Chile and all the partners of the project this October 25.
From the food sector they valued the launch of this initiative. “Here a relevant step has been taken for the national food industry. We export more than 2,6 million tons of fresh fruit a year, therefore, our yardstick must be in line with what developed countries demand globally," said Edmundo Araya, ASOEX Secretary General.
Along the same lines, Juan Carlos Sepúlveda, general manager of Fedefruta, affirmed that “as an industry we have to differentiate ourselves because we reach more than 80 countries, in which the consumer is much more demanding. Ecobase leads us to solve gaps that we have today and to distinguish ourselves as an industry”.
From ProChile, meanwhile, Paula Moreno, head of the Sustainable Trade Subdepartment, invited companies to use the calculator: "This tool is very specific and quantitative, and allows companies to be better prepared for international markets, improve and compare with a benchmark”, he concluded.
Blueberries
Two important preliminary results were presented during the ceremony, it is about the environmental impact of the wine industry and the cultivation of blueberries. In the case of wine, the study showed that the production of varietal white wine would have a greater impact than the varietal red wine, which is estimated at 19%. For example in detail one liter of varietal white wine yielded a carbon footprint of 1,23 Kg of CO2 equivalents, while that of varietal red wine is 1,06 Kg of CO2 equivalents. That is, a higher 16%.
In turn, the water footprint, which is related to the volume of water resources used based on the availability of the geographical area, resulted in the production of a liter varietal white wine having a water footprint of 0 m0007, while that of varietal red wine is 3 m0, that is, 0006% higher.
In the case of blueberries, it was in the Biobío Region where higher levels of environmental impact were detected, a measurement that included Maule and O'HIggins.
In the case of the Sixth Region, the impact was always lower compared to its peers.
While regarding the water footprint, producing one kilogram of fruit is equivalent to 0,53 m3, while in the carbon footprint the Sixth Region reaches 0,32 Kg of CO2 per kilo of blueberries produced.
Source: El Rancaguino newspaper
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