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21-07-2017 | WATER USE IN LCA

Inventory of field water flows for agri-food LCA: critical review and recommendations of modelling options

Authors: Sandra Payen, Claudine Basset-Mens, François Colin, Pauline Roignant

Published in: The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment | Issue 6/2018

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Abstract

Purpose

In a context of flourishing eco-labelling programs and environment policy for food products, LCA application to agricultural systems faces the challenges of being operational, accurate and exhaustive. This is particularly challenging for the newly developing LCA and ISO-compliant water footprinting, with many LCIA methods only recently developed, but no dedicated inventory method. To support the inventory of elementary water flows, LCA practitioners have a variety of tools available, ranging from databases (e.g. World Food LCA Database) to complex agro-hydrological models. To allow all LCA practitioners to fulfil their diverse agri-food LCA objectives, a review of available inventory tools for field water flows and recommendations are needed.

Methods

The selection of the appropriate method and tool for the inventory of field water flows in agri-food LCA studies depends on the objectives of the LCA study, data and resources available (time and skills). We analysed water inventory and agri-food LCA databases by evaluating the models on which they rely and their input data. Then, we explored the use of agro-hydrological models for LCA aiming at discriminating between different cropping system practices (LCA-based eco-design).

Results and discussion

Water inventory and agri-food LCA databases provide estimates of theoretical water consumed by a crop and rely on data and methods that have limitations, making them suitable only for background agricultural LCAs. In addition, databases do not support the application of water availability footprint indicators (assessing quantitative water use and water quality alteration). For the LCA-based eco-design of cropping systems, the inventory of water flows should be based on a model simulating evapotranspiration, deep percolation and runoff accounting for crop specificities, pedo-climatic conditions and agricultural management. In particular, the model should account for possible water, salinity and nutrient stresses; assess evaporation and transpiration separately; and estimate runoff and drainage according to the system specificities. Yield should not be estimated with a model but with primary data. Recommended and default data sources are provided for each input parameter.

Conclusions

The FAO AquaCrop model represents a good trade-off between accuracy, simplicity and robustness for LCA-based eco-design of cropping systems. However, this model is not yet applicable for perennial crops. Beyond a single model selection, this is a modelling approach that we characterised in this work.

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Appendix
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Footnotes
1
Pfister et al. (2011) define deficit irrigation as the actual water consumption in situations were less water than irrigation water requirement is applied, due to lack of irrigation facilities or limited water availability.
 
2
The grey water footprint of a product refers to the volume of freshwater that is required to dilute pollutants so their concentrations remain below agreed concentration standards. This is not a concept used in LCA; however, since it provides information on water quality (often only on nitrates), we included it in this review.
 
3
The single crop coefficient is used in the CropWat model.
 
4
The hypothetical reference crop has a crop height of 0.12 m, a fixed surface resistance of 70 s m−1 and an albedo of 0.23. It resembles closely to an extensive surface of green grass of uniform height, actively growing, completely shading the ground and with adequate water.
 
5
It is noteworthy that only part of the formalisms described in Allen et al. 1998 (FAO56) are actually implemented in CropWat model.
 
6
Note that in the CropWat model, irrigation losses correspond to the share of net irrigation water deep percolating, and precipitation losses correspond to the share of total precipitation lost through deep percolation and runoff. Beware of a possible confusion regarding effective precipitation: the soil water balance is computed using total precipitation and not effective precipitation because DP and RO are estimated respectively as a function of soil water content and maximum infiltration rate. Effective precipitation is only calculated for the whole cropping period to calculate the crop water requirement.
 
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Metadata
Title
Inventory of field water flows for agri-food LCA: critical review and recommendations of modelling options
Authors
Sandra Payen
Claudine Basset-Mens
François Colin
Pauline Roignant
Publication date
21-07-2017
Publisher
Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Published in
The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment / Issue 6/2018
Print ISSN: 0948-3349
Electronic ISSN: 1614-7502
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11367-017-1353-4