Estimación de impactos ambientales basado en el análisis de ciclo de vida de la fase agrícola de la cadena agroalimentaria convencional y agroecológica del rábano (Raphanus Sativus) en el cantón Cayambe.

Abstract

The present investigation analyzes the emissions of carbon dioxide equivalent and the amount of water used throughout all the agricultural phase of radish, which means from planting to harvest, it needs to use the carbon footprint indicator and also use the water footprint indicator. The study was applied to 3 agroecological farmers and 3 conventional farmers within Cayambe canton, in whose radish plots were executed soil, water and radish product analysis for both kind of systems, in addition to bio inputs analysis that are applied in the agroecological radish crops. For it there was used the methodology given by INIAP (Instituto Nacional de Investigación Agropecuaria) from the Experimental Station of the South Coast for the sampling of the agricultural soil, the methodology given by INIAP of Experimental Station “Boliche”, together with the instruction of Agrolaboratory CERES to sample irrigation water. For the analysis of equivalent CO2 generated by the cultivation of radish, use was made of the carbon footprint indicator; it used the methodology provided by the PAS 2050 and the guidelines of the IPPC, obtaining 66,9 g CO2 eq/kg radish emitted in to the atmosphere on agroecological system, while in conventional agriculture emissions are 91,5 g CO2 eq/kg radish. To estimate the required amount of water per kilogram of radish product, water footprint indicator was used, through which it was found that the quantity of water required on agroecological systems is 32,2 l/kg radish and 74,4 l/kg radish in conventional system.