Comparative life cycle assessment of integrated and organic viticulture based on a long-term field trial in Germany

Abstract

Organic farming practices are considered a promising solution for reducing environmental burdens related to intensive agricultural management practices. However, organic viticulture often results in lower yields. This study seeks to conduct a comparative life cycle assessment (LCA) of integrated and organic viticulture practices using data from a long-term experiment in Germany. By directly comparing management systems within the same vineyard, environmental variations attributed to geographic disparities are excluded from the analysis making this study unique in its use of consistent, long-term data. The LCA is conducted in alignment with the ISO standards 14040 and 14044 and applying the indicators and methods defined in the Product Environmental Footprint standard of the European Union using the software openLCA. To assess the environmental impacts relative to yield variations two functional units were chosen - “area” and “mass”. The results reveal that organic viticulture generally performs better on an area basis across most environmental categories, except for freshwater ecotoxicity, eutrophication, and mineral and metal resource use. However, lower yields in organic farming result in higher impacts per kilogram of grapes produced. The use of copper fungicides merges as a significant drawback due to its ecotoxicity, highlighting the need for strategies to reduce copper inputs and increase yields to improve the sustainability of organic viticulture. Additionally, the environmental impact of trellis production is identified as a critical hotspot for both production systems, suggesting that prolonging the lifespan of trellis materials or using less impactful alternatives could significantly reduce the overall environmental footprint. In conclusion, while organic viticulture offers certain environmental benefits, challenges related to yield and copper use must be addressed to enhance its sustainability. Future research should also consider integrating biodiversity and ecosystem services into LCA methodologies, as these factors could alter the comparative outcomes of organic and integrated management systems.