Assessment of environmental and social impacts due to the inclusion of novel solutions for nutrient recovery: towards sustainability in agriculture
- Autores: Edilene Pereira Andrade
- Directores de la Tesis: Laureano Jiménez Esteller (dir. tes.), August Bonmatí Blasi (dir. tes.), Ana Maria Anton Arribas (dir. tes.)
- Lectura: En la Universitat Rovira i Virgili ( España ) en 2022
- Idioma: inglés
- Número de páginas: 188
- Tribunal Calificador de la Tesis: Giuliana D'Imporzano (presid.), Jordi Doltra Bregón (secret.), Elsa Varela Redondo (voc.)
- Programa de doctorado: Programa de Doctorado en Nanociencia, Materiales e Ingeniería Química por la Universidad Rovira i Virgili
- Materias:
- Enlaces
- Tesis en acceso abierto en: TDX
- Resumen
- español
La agricultura juega un papel importante a !'hora de sostener los alimentos, esta fuertemente relacionada con muchos retos de sostenibilidad como el cambio *climatic, la escasez de agua, la pobreza y la inseguridad alimentaría. Por lo tanto, hay que pasar de un sistema *aqroalimentari con el objetivo de *auqmentar la productividad, a otro *construH alrededor decís principios más amplios de !'agricultura sostenible. El objetivo de esta tesis es evaluar los impactos ambientales y sociales de nuevas tecnologías y soluciones centradas en la recuperación de nutrientes y el reciclaje de nutrientes a !'agricultura. Con cuyo objeto , se propasa el desarrollo de metodologías y conjunto de indicadores centrados en las principales cuestiones sociales y ambientales directas e indirectas del sector. Además, se pretende ayudar los usuarios finales a prevenir y mitigar, cuando sea posible, los posibles impactos ambientales y sociales decís sistemas de cultivo y ganadería. Así mismo, se desarrolló un enfoque fácil de utilitzar para presentar evaluaciones sociales y arilbientales para los diferentes agentes implicados directamente e indirectamente en el sector. Los productos finales están enfocados a la agricultura, pero se pueden extender a otros sectores, como el forestal o la pesca, siguiendo la metodología propuesta.
- català
L'agricultura juga un paper important a !'hora de sostenir els aliments, esta fortament relacionada amb molts reptes de sostenibilitat com el canvi climatic, l'escassetat d'aigua, la pobresa i la inseguretat alimentaria. Per tant, cal passar d'un sistema aqroalimentari amb l'objectiu d'auqmentar la productivitat, a un altre construH al voltant deis principis més amplis de !'agricultura sostenible. L'objectiu d'aquesta tesi és avaluar els impactes ambientals i socials de noves tecnologies i solucions centrades en la recuperació de nutrients i el reciclatge de nutrients a !'agricultura. Amb aquesta finalitat, es propasa el desenvolupament de metodologies i conjunt d'indicadors centrats en les principals qüestions socials i ambientals directes i indirectes del sector. A més, es pretén ajudar els usuaris finals a prevenir i mitigar, quan sigui possible, els possibles impactes ambientals i socials deis sistemes de conreu i ramaderia. Així mateix, es va desenvolupar un entocament fácil d'uti litzar per presentar avaluacions socials i arilbientals per als diterents agents implicats directament i indirectament en el sector. Els productes finals estan enfocats a l'agricultura, pero es poden estendre a altres sectors, com el forestal o la pesca, seguint la metodología propasada.
- English
Agriculture plays a major role when it becomes to food sustain, being strongly related to many sustainability challenges such as climate change, water scarcity, poverty and food insecurity. Therefore, there is a need to shift from an agri-food system aiming to increase productivity, to another one built around the broader principles of sustainable agriculture, which establishes fairer modes of production and consumption (Brunori et al., 2013). Several impacts can be addressed to agricultural practices, many of them need further studies, due to the low exploration of pathways between not common impacts, such as the use of mineral fertilizers and the impact on local communities, or the reduction of accidents due to the improvement of training in agricultural systems.
Currently, sustainable agriculture is more focused on environmental problems related to the use of primary resources. However, to achieve sustainability in its essence, it is necessary to evaluate, in addition to the environmental impacts, also the social and economic impacts (Petit et al., 2018). The aim of this thesis is to assess the environmental and social impacts of novel technologies and solutions focused on nutrient recovery and recycling of nutrients in agriculture. To this end, the development of methodologies and set of indicators are proposed focusing on the main direct and indirect social and environmental issues in the sector. In addition, it is intended to assist end-users to prevent and mitigate, when possible, potential environmental and social impacts from the arable and livestock systems. Also, a user-friendly approach was developed to present social and environmental assessments for different stakeholders involved directly and indirectly in the sector. The final products are focused on agriculture, but they can be extended to other sectors, such as forestry or fisheries, following the proposed methodology.
Summarizing the sections of this thesis, the study presented in section 2 provides valuable insight into nitrogen emissions models, highlighting that it is not always possible to use mechanist models due to the amount (and quality) of input data required, but these models could be used to adjust short-cut models, helping to improve the evidence-based of results in life cycle assessment (LCA) studies. In section 3, we present the dashboard indicators (DBI), under a rapid assessment, reflected the most relevant environmental aspects and impacts about nutrient recovery in agriculture, being an effective way to benchmark against a baseline (i.e., the current situation in agricultural practices). However, although the DBI covered various aspects (i.e., the use of primary resources, emissions to the environment and resilience to climate change), they are not intended to replace the full assessments, for instance, using LCA. In section 4, the set of indicators enabled the identification of social hotspots and opportunities related to novel technologies applied in agriculture, for instance, the employability of highly skilled workers, attracting a highly qualified labour force to agriculture, increasing training and employee development, helping to reduce accidents at work, and the novel ways to properly deal with manure can promote a reduction in odour and other gases for local communities in the surroundings of livestock farms. However, novel technologies can be a new source of damage, for instance, due to the use of chemicals (e.g., acids) or working with heavy machinery, although these risks can be minimized/ controllable. Finally, the conclusions obtained from section 5, show that with the methodology adopted, environmental and social aspects of the process could be measured through the use of the same inventory, especially in the case of novel technologies with a low level of adaptation in society, but adapting to intended conditions, for instance, using monetary flows.
- español
