The environmental performance of einkorn bread using cradle-to-grave life cycle assessment methodology including wheat straw utilization in bioethanol production

Abstract

Changes in production and consumption patterns have led the pressure on ecological balance to increase along with the growing human population. One of these changes is industrial agriculture aiming to produce sufficient food for world population. However, it is seen that industrial agriculture requires intensive use of chemical inputs, causes serious problems on environment and human health, and reduces resistance to environmental problems such as climate change; for this reason, alternative production methods have started to be applied. Concepts of organic agriculture and permaculture appear here as methods determining amounts of inputs based on ecological characteristics of the region, avoiding chemical input use, and advocating diversity in production. In other respects, new approaches such as circular economy and industrial symbiosis, in concordance with sustainable development, encourage production of alternative fuels such as bioethanol from wheat straw. In this study, environmental performance of bread as an important source of nutrition since ancient times was evaluated by life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology with special emphasis on organic agriculture and permaculture practices. Additionally, wheat straw produced as a by-product in agricultural process was also assumed to be utilized in alternative fuel (bioethanol) production. Results showed that environmental impacts resulted from diesel and electricity used in machinery and vehicles throughout the life cycle. In addition, utilization of wheat straw as a by-product reduced environmental impact caused by bread production. Finally, by evaluating 3 different fuel types, it was concluded that bioethanol blends were better in terms of environmental performance.