March 12, 2026 | The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment |
This study conducted by National Taiwan Normal University, Taiwan evaluated the environmental impacts of sugar apple (Annona squamosa) production under different farming systems in Taitung, one of Taiwan’s major sugar apple production regions. As interest in sustainable agriculture increases, there is a need to better understand how conventional, semi-organic, organic, and natural farming practices influence both environmental performance and crop productivity.
Using a cradle-to-orchard-gate life cycle assessment (LCA), the researchers analyzed seven orchards and incorporated organically certified inputs, including biofertilizers, biocontrol agents, and organic pesticides, into the assessment. Environmental impacts were evaluated across 18 categories using both yield-based and area-based functional units.
The results identified fertilizer production and application, packaging materials, and energy generation as the main environmental hotspots. Freshwater eutrophication was the dominant environmental impact in most orchards. Among the evaluated systems, the natural farming orchard consistently exhibited the lowest environmental impacts due to the absence of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. Organic farming generally performed better than conventional farming when impacts were assessed per unit land area, although results varied when assessed per unit of harvested product.
The study also found that management practices such as reduced fertilizer use, adoption of organic inputs, winter double-bagging, mechanical weed control, and optimized crop load improved nutrient-use efficiency and yield performance. The findings suggest that lower-input and organically oriented production systems can reduce environmental burdens while supporting sustainable fruit production in Taiwan.
