Life cycle assesment of soybean. / Analise do ciclo de vida da soja.

AUTOR(ES)
DATA DE PUBLICAÇÃO

2008

RESUMO

The objective of this study is to assess the soybean life cycle to quantify the environmental and economic contributions at each stage of soybean and soybean products production, transport and processing phases. In order of that, it were used the Embodied Energy Analysis, the Material Intensity Analysis and the Emergy Synthesis as well other economic and social indicators. The results showed that agricultural production stage is the phase that uses larger amount of resources in the life cycle of soybean products considered: soy meal exported to Europe, biodiesel and refined soy oil. Therefore, the agricultural phase requires more attention of decision-makers for public policies toward a more sustainable soybean chain. Quantitative indicators showed that biodiesel production from conventional soybean is not a sustainable (renewability = 31%) alternative for energy supply to the society. Also, the soy meal flows exported to Europe are responsible for high environmental damages (environmental loading ratio = 2.83). However, the results showed that soybean can be produced in more sustainable alternative systems in order to reduce these negative impacts.

ASSUNTO(S)

biodiesel analise de intensidade de materiais agricultura sustentada avaliação emergetica embodied energy energia incorporada - analise material flow accounting sustainable agriculture emergy analysis biodiesel fuels

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