Environmental Improvements of Greenhouse Flower Cultivation by Means of LCA Methodology

This paper presents the results of a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) study conducted to determine the environmental burdens associated with cut flowers and pot plant greenhouse cultivation. The goal of this research is to provide an objective environmental analysis of greenhouse ornamental production and point out technical and operational solutions in order to reduce the environmental burdens produced by cultivation. In order to define the environmental friendly strategy in the area of the U.E., a research has been carried out within project “Ecoflower Terlizzi” (LIFE04 ENV/IT/000480) based on ISO standardisation guidelines, with the participation of Italian ornamental growers. Twenty-two farms of the greenhouse districts of Terlizzi, near Bari in the southern Italian region of Apulia, were chosen in order to analyse the environmental sustainability of soil and soil-less production. The data gathered within project concerned greenhouse typology (structure and covering), equipments (heating, electric, irrigation, etc.) crops (rose, daisy flower, chrysanthemum, carnation, lily, cyclamen, etc.), consumption of water, fertilisers, pesticides, substrates, nutrient solutions, energy consumed for the cultivation and the running of solution distribution systems. The results, based on CML2001 interpretation method (Guinée et al., 2001), show that plastic covering materials instead of glass, the use of thermal screen for energy saving, an optimization of structures, equipments and agronomical management can reduce environmental burden of ornamental cultivation mainly generated by fuel, pesticide and fertilizer emissions