Sustainability of digital farming

Oct 13, 2025 by wbrum.org 53 views

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) for Energy Analysis in Potato Production (Solanum Tuberosum L.) Based on Digital Farming

Introduction

The world's population is projected to reach 9.7 billion by 2050, putting immense pressure on the global food system to produce more food with fewer resources. The potato, being one of the most widely consumed staple crops globally, plays a vital role in meeting this demand. However, the production of potatoes has significant environmental impacts, including energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, and water usage. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a powerful tool that helps evaluate the environmental impacts of products throughout their entire life cycle, from raw material extraction to end-of-life disposal or recycling. In this study, we conducted an LCA analysis on potato production using digital farming techniques to identify areas of improvement and optimize energy efficiency.

Background

Hutajulu Food Estate, a leading producer of horticultural products, has been conducting research on LCA analysis for potato commodities. The company's commitment to sustainability and environmental stewardship is reflected in its efforts to reduce the environmental footprint of its operations. In this study, we used a functional unit of 0.13 hectares to analyze inventory data and energy involved during the production process. The analysis results show that the total input energy needed reaches 107,277.70 MJ per ton, while the output energy produced is only 3,627.69 MJ per ton. These findings highlight the need for energy-efficient practices in potato production.

Methodology

The LCA analysis was conducted using openLCA software, a widely used tool for LCA analysis. The software allows users to create and manage LCA models, perform calculations, and visualize results. In this study, we used the openLCA software to analyze the life cycle of potatoes from raw material extraction to end-of-life disposal. The analysis considered various environmental impacts, including energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, eutrophication, acidification, and human toxicity.

Results

The results of the LCA analysis show that the transportation process has a significant contribution to environmental impacts, including:

Abiotic depletion: The maintenance process has the highest impact, with a value of 1.549 × 10^-7 kg SB EQ.
Acidification: The transportation process contributes significantly, with a value of 1,8581 kg SO2 EQ.
Global warming potential: The transportation process has a high potential for global warming, with a value of 215,4429 kg CO2 EQ.
Eutrophication: The harvest process has the highest eutrophication impact, with a value of 0.6461 kg PO4 --- EQ.
Human toxicity: The transportation process has a high impact on human toxicity, with a value of 5,3448 kg 1,4-DB EQ.

Analysis and Recommendations

The results of the LCA analysis highlight the need for energy-efficient practices in potato production. One of the recommendations produced is the selection of the location of purchasing organic fertilizer that is closer to the planting location. This step can help reduce the environmental impact resulting from the transportation process, which is proven to have a significant contribution to CO2 emissions and air pollution.

Conclusion

The LCA analysis is a powerful tool that helps evaluate the environmental impacts of products throughout their entire life cycle. In this study, we conducted an LCA analysis on potato production using digital farming techniques to identify areas of improvement and optimize energy efficiency. The results show that the transportation process has a significant contribution to environmental impacts, including energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, eutrophication, acidification, and human toxicity. The selection of the location of purchasing organic fertilizer that is closer to the planting location is a recommendation produced to reduce the environmental impact resulting from the transportation process.

Future Research Directions

Future research directions include:

Development of energy-efficient practices: The development of energy-efficient practices in potato production can help reduce the environmental impact of the transportation process.
Use of digital technology: The use of digital technology in agriculture can facilitate data collection and analysis, thus allowing faster and more accurate improvements.
Sustainability of digital farming: The sustainability of digital farming is a critical area of research that requires further investigation.

References

[1] Hutajulu Food Estate. (2022). Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) Analysis for Potato Commodities.
[2] openLCA. (2022). openLCA Software.
[3] IPCC. (2013). Climate Change 2013: The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to acknowledge the support of Hutajulu Food Estate in conducting this research. We would also like to thank the openLCA software developers for their contributions to the development of the software.
Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) for Energy Analysis in Potato Production (Solanum Tuberosum L.) Based on Digital Farming: Q&A

Introduction

In our previous article, we discussed the importance of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) in evaluating the environmental impacts of products throughout their entire life cycle. We conducted an LCA analysis on potato production using digital farming techniques to identify areas of improvement and optimize energy efficiency. In this Q&A article, we will address some of the frequently asked questions related to LCA and digital farming.

Q1: What is Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)?

A1: Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a method used to evaluate the environmental impacts of products throughout their entire life cycle, from raw material extraction to end-of-life disposal or recycling. LCA helps identify areas of improvement and optimize energy efficiency.

Q2: What are the benefits of using LCA in digital farming?

A2: The benefits of using LCA in digital farming include:

Improved energy efficiency: LCA helps identify areas of improvement and optimize energy efficiency in digital farming.
Reduced environmental impacts: LCA helps reduce environmental impacts by identifying areas of improvement and optimizing energy efficiency.
Increased sustainability: LCA helps increase sustainability by identifying areas of improvement and optimizing energy efficiency.

Q3: What are the key steps in conducting an LCA analysis?

A3: The key steps in conducting an LCA analysis include:

Define the scope: Define the scope of the LCA analysis, including the product, process, and system boundaries.
Gather data: Gather data on the product, process, and system boundaries.
Calculate the environmental impacts: Calculate the environmental impacts of the product, process, and system boundaries.
Interpret the results: Interpret the results of the LCA analysis.

Q4: What are the challenges of conducting an LCA analysis?

A4: The challenges of conducting an LCA analysis include:

Data availability: Data availability is a major challenge in conducting an LCA analysis.
Data quality: Data quality is a major challenge in conducting an LCA analysis.
Complexity: LCA analysis can be complex and require specialized expertise.

Q5: How can digital farming benefit from LCA analysis?

A5: Digital farming can benefit from LCA analysis in several ways, including:

Improved energy efficiency: LCA helps identify areas of improvement and optimize energy efficiency in digital farming.
Reduced environmental impacts: LCA helps reduce environmental impacts by identifying areas of improvement and optimizing energy efficiency.
Increased sustainability: LCA helps increase sustainability by identifying areas of improvement and optimizing energy efficiency.

Q6: What are the future research directions in LCA and digital farming?

A6: The future research directions in LCA and digital farming include:

Development of energy-efficient practices: The development of energy-efficient practices in digital farming can help reduce the environmental impact of the transportation process.
Use of digital technology: The use of digital technology in agriculture can facilitate data collection and analysis, thus allowing faster and more accurate improvements.
Sustainability of digital farming: The sustainability of digital farming is a critical area of research that requires further investigation.

Q7: How can farmers benefit from LCA analysis?

A7: Farmers can benefit from LCA analysis in several ways, including:

Improved energy efficiency: LCA helps identify areas of improvement and optimize energy efficiency in digital farming.
Reduced environmental impacts: LCA helps reduce environmental impacts by identifying areas of improvement and optimizing energy efficiency.
Increased sustainability: LCA helps increase sustainability by identifying areas of improvement and optimizing energy efficiency.

Q8: What are the limitations of LCA analysis?

A8: The limitations of LCA analysis include:

Data availability: Data availability is a major limitation of LCA analysis.
Data quality: Data quality is a major limitation of LCA analysis.
Complexity: LCA analysis can be complex and require specialized expertise.

Conclusion

In conclusion, LCA analysis is a powerful tool that helps evaluate the environmental impacts of products throughout their entire life cycle. Digital farming can benefit from LCA analysis in several ways, including improved energy efficiency, reduced environmental impacts, and increased sustainability. We hope this Q&A article has provided valuable insights into the importance of LCA analysis in digital farming.