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Energy embodiment in Brazilian agriculture: an overview of 23 crops
Veiga, João Paulo Soto; Romanelli, Thiago Libório; Gimenez, Leandro Maria; Busato, Patrizia; Milan, Marcos.
Afiliação
  • Veiga, João Paulo Soto; University of São Paulo. Escola Superior de Agricultura "Luiz de Queiroz". Agricultural Systems Engineering. Laboratory of System Management and Sustainability. Piracicaba. BR
  • Romanelli, Thiago Libório; University of São Paulo. Escola Superior de Agricultura "Luiz de Queiroz". Department of Biosystems Engineering. Laboratory of System Management and Sustainability. Piracicaba. BR
  • Gimenez, Leandro Maria; University of São Paulo. Escola Superior de Agricultura "Luiz de Queiroz". Department of Biosystems Engineering. Laboratory of System Management and Sustainability. Piracicaba. BR
  • Busato, Patrizia; University of Torino. Department of Agricultural, Forestry and Environmental Economics and Engineering. Turin. IT
  • Milan, Marcos; University of São Paulo. Escola Superior de Agricultura "Luiz de Queiroz". Department of Biosystems Engineering. Laboratory of System Management and Sustainability. Piracicaba. BR
Sci. agric ; 72(6): 471-477, Nov.-Dec. 2015. tab
Article em En | VETINDEX | ID: biblio-1497530
Biblioteca responsável: BR68.1
Localização: BR68.1
ABSTRACT
The amount of energy required to produce a commodity or to supply a service varies from one production system to another and consequently giving rise to differing levels of environmental efficiency. Moreover, since energy prices have been continuously increasing over time, this energy amount may be a factor that has economic worth. Biomass production has a variety of end-products such as food, energy, and fiber; thus, taking into account the similarity in end-product of different crops (e.g. sunflower, peanuts, or soybean for oil) it is possible to evaluate which crops require less energy per functional unit, such as starch, oil, and protein. This information can be used in decision-making about policies for food safety or bioenergy. In this study, 23 crops were evaluated allowing for a comparison in terms of energy embodied per functional unit. Crops were grouped as follows starch, oil, horticultural, perennial and fiber, to provide for a deeper analysis of alternatives for the groups, and subsidize further studies comparing conventional and alternative production systems such as organic or genetically modified organisms, in terms of energy. The best energy balance observed was whole sugarcane (juice, bagasse and straw) with a surplus of 268 GJ ha1 yr1; palm shows the highest energy return on investment with a ratio of approximately 301. For carbohydrates and protein production, cassava and soybean, respectively, emerged as the crops offering the greatest energy savings in the production of these functional foods.
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Texto completo: 1 Base de dados: VETINDEX Idioma: En Revista: Sci. Agric. / Sci. agric Ano de publicação: 2015 Tipo de documento: Article

Texto completo: 1 Base de dados: VETINDEX Idioma: En Revista: Sci. Agric. / Sci. agric Ano de publicação: 2015 Tipo de documento: Article