Life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions of portuguese olive oil

The main goal of this paper was to assess the greenhouse gas (GHG) intensity of olive oil production in Portugal. A life-cycle model and inventory were implemented for the entire production process, including a comprehensive analysis of olive cultivation, olive oil extraction, packaging, and distribution. Data originates from five differently-sized Portuguese olive growers and from a total of six olive oil mills, representing the three extraction processes in use: three-phase extraction, two-phase extraction, and traditional pressing. The results show that the GHG intensity lies in the range 1.8-8.2 kg CO2eq/liter and that the main contributors were fertilizers (production and field emissions). Efficient use of fertilizers thus seems to be a key factor for mitigating the GHG intensity of olive oil production.

Keywords

Carbon footprint Olive plantations Environmental impact Extraction Greenhouse gas Life-cycle assessment

URI

http://hdl.handle.net/10198/10845

Citation

Figueiredo, Filipa; Coroama, Vlad C.; Ramos, António; Almeida, Arlindo; Ramalhosa, Elsa; Castanheira, Érica Geraldes; Peres, Fátima; Carneiro, João; Pereira, J.A.; Feliciano, Manuel; Gomes, Paulo; Marques, Pedro; Freire, Fausto (2013). Life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions of portuguese olive oil. In Energy for Sustainability 2013. Coimbra. p. 1-7