An integrated environmental-economic assessment of orange production in China during 2010–2020

It is unclear how agricultural materials use affects environmental sustainability, carbon emissions and economic benefit of fruit plantation as well as relationships among the three aspects. To address these issues, Chinese orange production, as a study case, was investigated through combination of emergy method, carbon footprint and economic analysis, as well as the proposed co-benefit index based on emergy-carbon-economy. This evaluation framework was applied to assess orange production in Chinese seven provinces during 2010–2020. On average, Jiangxi has the highest emergy sustainability level (0.14) while Guangxi and Chongqing show the lowest level (0.08). Chongqing and Guangdong achieve the best and the worst economic benefit (3.34 vs. 1.78 in terms of Return on Investment) respectively. Hunan and Guangdong possess the lowest and the largest carbon emission intensity (0.11 vs. 0.90 kg CO₂-eq kg ⁻¹ product) accordingly. Hunan and Guangdong achieve the best and the worst co-benefit effect (13.52 vs. 0.48 in terms of Co-benefit Index) respectively. Except Hunan and Jiangxi, emergy sustainability adversely affects co-benefit effect of orange production in the other five provinces. Carbon emission intensity reduces co-benefit effect of orange production in Guangdong. Economic benefit weakens co-benefit effect of orange production in Fujian, Hubei, Hunan and Guangdong. The work proposed one feasible framework for investigating comprehensive performance of fruit production based on emergy – carbon - economy.