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Quantification and valuation of ecosystem services in life cycle assessment: Application of the cascade framework to rice farming systems
Citation:
Liu, X., B. Bakshi, B. Rugani, D. Maia de Souza, J. Bare, John M. Johnston, A. Laurent, AND F. Verones. Quantification and valuation of ecosystem services in life cycle assessment: Application of the cascade framework to rice farming systems. SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT. Elsevier BV, AMSTERDAM, Netherlands, 747:141278, (2020). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.141278
Impact/Purpose:
The integration of ecosystem service (ES) assessment with life cycle assessment (LCA) is important for developing decision support tools for environmental sustainability. Rugani et al. (2019) propose a 4-step methodology that integrates the ES cascade framework within the cause-effect chain of life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) to characterize the physical and monetary impacts on ES provisioning due to human interventions. We here follow the steps of Rugani et al. (2019), to demonstrate the application of the integrated ES-LCIA methodology and the added value for LCA studies, using a case study of rice production in the United States of America, China, and India. The analysis shows the overall negative cost-benefit for rice production systems (i.e. the detrimental impacts of rice production on ES is greater than its benefits). From this case study, research gaps are identified for developing fully operationalized ES-LCIA integration.
Description:
The integration of ecosystem service (ES) assessment with life cycle assessment (LCA) is important for developing decision support tools for environmental sustainability. A prequel study has proposed a 4-step methodology that integrates the ES cascade framework within the cause-effect chain of life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) to characterize the physical and monetary impacts on ES provisioning due to human interventions. We here follow the suggested steps in the abovementioned study, to demonstrate the first application of the integrated ES-LCIA methodology and the added value for LCA studies, using a case study of rice farming in the United States, China, and India. Four ES are considered, namely carbon sequestration, water provisioning, air quality regulation, and water quality regulation. The analysis found a net negative impact for rice farming systems in all three rice producing countries, meaning the detrimental impacts of rice farming on ES being greater than the induced benefits on ES. Compared to the price of rice sold in the market, the negative impacts represent around 2%, 6%, and 4% of the cost of 1 kg of rice from China, India, and the United States, respectively.
URLs/Downloads:
DOI: Quantification and valuation of ecosystem services in life cycle assessment: Application of the cascade framework to rice farming systems
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