Document Type : Original Research Article
Authors
1
Department of Plant Production, Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Gonbad Kavous University, Golestan, Iran
2
Department of Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Gonbad Kavous University, Gonbad Kavus, Iran
3
Department of Agronomy, Faculty of Crop Sciences, Sari Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources University, Sari, Iran
4
Department of Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Gonbad Kavous University, Gonbad Kavous, Iran
5
Department of Environmental Science, Faculty of Fisheries and Environment, Gorgan Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources University, Gorgan, Iran
Abstract
After cereals, oilseeds are the second most important source of dietary energy globally. Their cultivation in Iran is therefore vital for food security and reducing reliance on edible oil imports. However, oilseed production depends heavily on inputs such as chemical fertilizers (CFs) and fossil fuels, which can pose risks to the environment and human health. These impacts can be assessed using a life cycle assessment (LCA) approach. This study assessed and compared rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) and camelina (Camelina sativa L.) production systems in Mazandaran Province, Iran, in 2023. Primary data were collected, and environmental impacts were calculated using a functional unit of one tonne (1 t) of harvested seed. The comparative LCA revealed distinct trade-offs across midpoint and endpoint damage categories, precluding any claim of overall environmental superiority. In all subsequent comparisons, values are reported for rapeseed and camelina, respectively. On a harvested seed basis, higher crop productivity conferred an advantage to rapeseed in several midpoint indicators, including global warming potential (1,300 vs. 1,550 kg CO₂-eq), ozone depletion, ionizing radiation, photochemical ozone formation, freshwater and marine eutrophication, and human toxicities. Conversely, camelina’s lower input-intensity significantly mitigated fine particulate matter formation (16.6 vs. 4.51 kg PM₂.₅-eq) and terrestrial acidification (40.9 vs. 16.3 kg SO₂-eq). At the endpoint level, camelina inflicted markedly lower damage on human health (0.0122 vs. 0.00498 DALY) and ecosystem quality (1.41×10⁻⁵ vs. 1.04×10⁻⁵ species·yr), whereas rapeseed performed slightly better regarding resource scarcity (107 vs. 125 USD).
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