Life Cycle Assessment for Soybean Supply Chain: A Case Study of State of Pará, Brazil
Brazil has emerged as the world’s largest soybean producer and exporter in recent years. In the Brazilian Amazon Biome, the state of Pará has become a new agricultural frontier over the last two decades due to a significant increase in soybean cultivation throughout its territory. However, it is ess...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-06-01
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| Series: | Agronomy |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/13/6/1648 |
| _version_ | 1797596491600101376 |
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| author | Thyago Brito Rui Fragoso Leovigildo Santos José António Martins Anabela Afonso Fernandes Silva José Aranha |
| author_facet | Thyago Brito Rui Fragoso Leovigildo Santos José António Martins Anabela Afonso Fernandes Silva José Aranha |
| author_sort | Thyago Brito |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Brazil has emerged as the world’s largest soybean producer and exporter in recent years. In the Brazilian Amazon Biome, the state of Pará has become a new agricultural frontier over the last two decades due to a significant increase in soybean cultivation throughout its territory. However, it is essential to understand the associated effects on the environment at every point in the supply chain. This research aims to measure the effects on the environment of the soybean supply chain of two production poles utilising openLCA software and the life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology in the northeast (Paragominas) and south (Redenção) of the state of Pará in Brazil. In addition, we determine which is the most efficient route between the shipment port and the ultimate destination. The Recipe Midpoint (H) and Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) methods of environmental impact categories were used in accordance with the cradle-to-grave scope. The BRLUC regionalised model (v1.3) was used to quantify land use change (LUC). According to the observed results, LUC was primarily responsible (between 3.8 and 32.69 tCO<sub>2</sub> Eq·ha<sup>−1</sup>·year<sup>−1</sup>) for the global warming potential (GWP) of the soybean supply chain when rainforest-occupied land was converted into cropland. The soybean harvest in the Redenção pole is better loaded through the port of Itaqui (TEGRAM), which is in São Luis (state of Maranhão), due to the use of multiple modes of transport (lorry + train), allowing for better logistical performance and less impact on the environment, despite the longest distance (road + railway = 1306 km). Due to the short road distance (approximately 350 km) and consequently lower environmental impact, soybean harvested in the Paragominas pole is better loaded through the ports around Barcarena in the state of Pará. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T02:52:09Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d0f03a02fadc4a2aa8cae849b7850318 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-4395 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T02:52:09Z |
| publishDate | 2023-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Agronomy |
| spelling | doaj.art-d0f03a02fadc4a2aa8cae849b78503182023-11-18T08:56:08ZengMDPI AGAgronomy2073-43952023-06-01136164810.3390/agronomy13061648Life Cycle Assessment for Soybean Supply Chain: A Case Study of State of Pará, BrazilThyago Brito0Rui Fragoso1Leovigildo Santos2José António Martins3Anabela Afonso Fernandes Silva4José Aranha5CETRAD—Centre for Transdisciplinary Studies, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Quinta dos Prados, 5000-801 Vila Real, PortugalCEFAGE—Centre for Advanced Studies in Management and Economics, University of Évora, 7000-809 Évora, PortugalRENAC—Natural Research of Cerrado, Goiás State University, Anápolis 75132-903, GO, BrazilCETRAD—Centre for Transdisciplinary Studies, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Quinta dos Prados, 5000-801 Vila Real, PortugalCITAB—Centre for Research and Technology of Agro-Environment and Biological Sciences, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Quinta dos Prados, 5000-801 Vila Real, PortugalCETRAD—Centre for Transdisciplinary Studies, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Quinta dos Prados, 5000-801 Vila Real, PortugalBrazil has emerged as the world’s largest soybean producer and exporter in recent years. In the Brazilian Amazon Biome, the state of Pará has become a new agricultural frontier over the last two decades due to a significant increase in soybean cultivation throughout its territory. However, it is essential to understand the associated effects on the environment at every point in the supply chain. This research aims to measure the effects on the environment of the soybean supply chain of two production poles utilising openLCA software and the life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology in the northeast (Paragominas) and south (Redenção) of the state of Pará in Brazil. In addition, we determine which is the most efficient route between the shipment port and the ultimate destination. The Recipe Midpoint (H) and Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) methods of environmental impact categories were used in accordance with the cradle-to-grave scope. The BRLUC regionalised model (v1.3) was used to quantify land use change (LUC). According to the observed results, LUC was primarily responsible (between 3.8 and 32.69 tCO<sub>2</sub> Eq·ha<sup>−1</sup>·year<sup>−1</sup>) for the global warming potential (GWP) of the soybean supply chain when rainforest-occupied land was converted into cropland. The soybean harvest in the Redenção pole is better loaded through the port of Itaqui (TEGRAM), which is in São Luis (state of Maranhão), due to the use of multiple modes of transport (lorry + train), allowing for better logistical performance and less impact on the environment, despite the longest distance (road + railway = 1306 km). Due to the short road distance (approximately 350 km) and consequently lower environmental impact, soybean harvested in the Paragominas pole is better loaded through the ports around Barcarena in the state of Pará.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/13/6/1648Brazilian Amazon BiomeLCAsoft commoditytropical agriculture |
| spellingShingle | Thyago Brito Rui Fragoso Leovigildo Santos José António Martins Anabela Afonso Fernandes Silva José Aranha Life Cycle Assessment for Soybean Supply Chain: A Case Study of State of Pará, Brazil Agronomy Brazilian Amazon Biome LCA soft commodity tropical agriculture |
| title | Life Cycle Assessment for Soybean Supply Chain: A Case Study of State of Pará, Brazil |
| title_full | Life Cycle Assessment for Soybean Supply Chain: A Case Study of State of Pará, Brazil |
| title_fullStr | Life Cycle Assessment for Soybean Supply Chain: A Case Study of State of Pará, Brazil |
| title_full_unstemmed | Life Cycle Assessment for Soybean Supply Chain: A Case Study of State of Pará, Brazil |
| title_short | Life Cycle Assessment for Soybean Supply Chain: A Case Study of State of Pará, Brazil |
| title_sort | life cycle assessment for soybean supply chain a case study of state of para brazil |
| topic | Brazilian Amazon Biome LCA soft commodity tropical agriculture |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/13/6/1648 |
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