The Agricultural and Fisheries Research and Training Institute (Ifapa) of the Government of Andalusia has carried out a study on the environmental impact of strawberry cultivation, which concludes that the high doses of pesticides applied, the high amount of materials used in the irrigation systems and high energy consumption are the main causes of the crop's environmental impact; that is, eutrophication and ecotoxicity.
The project, carried out through the "Life Cycle Analysis" methodology, has made it possible to identify and quantify the environmental impact of the various agricultural practices currently in use in strawberry production, and thus be able to give recommendations to the sector with the aim of improving the sustainability of the production systems and improve the sector's competitiveness. The list of recommendations includes an improvement in pesticide management, the use of materials that are recycled or have a longer shelf life and the use of renewable energies in order to improve the environmental footprint of strawberry cultivation.
Source: andaluciainformacion.es