Page 144 - Ecuador's Banana Sector under Climate Change

ecuador’s banana sector under climate change: an economic and biophysical assessment to promote a sustainable and climate-compatible strategy
during transportation from the RDC to the retailer. This is based on national statistics and alternative methods to recover food that are in practice today.
3.3.3 Transportation by sea
The contribution to the banana carbon footprint by sea transportation represents 0.23 tonne CO2eq/tonne of bananas, which is significantly lower than the results reported by Luske (2010) (0.70) and Svanes (2012) (0.75). It is in line, however, with those reported by Eitner et al. (2012) (0.21) and Lescot (0.26 for BI, 0.23 for BII and 0.29 for C).
The reason for this decrease is that a larger size of vessel is considered in this study (40 000 tonnes versus 15 000 tonnes (deadweight tonnage), in which case the fuel usage per unit of banana transported is lower. The decrease is also due to the fact that the return trip is partly (20 percent) used for transporting other goods, as reported by the shipping companies that were interviewed (other studies assumed the return of an empty vessel, due to lack of information). Furthermore, the assumption that the vessel capacity is used efficiently (100 percent, according to the information provided by the shipping companies) varies from the report by Luske (2010) (70 percent).
3.3.4 Transportation from port of entry to ripening facility
The reason for the high contribution of emissions relating to transportation from the port of entry is due to the consumption stage which takes place in Spain. The fruit still needs to be transported long distances after it has been unloaded in Rotterdam.
4. Conclusions
This evaluation has calculated the carbon footprint associated with the production of the banana in Ecuador and its ultimate consumption in Spain. It covers
the entire banana value chain, with special emphasis on the activities of fruit cultivation and packaging that take place on the banana plantation.
Six types of farms were selected, based on size and production system. Significant differences in the amount of GHG emissions were evidenced between organic (0.25 tonne CO2eq/tonne of bananas) and conventional plantations
(0.31 tonne CO2eq/tonne of bananas).
The carbon footprint of the entire value chain of Ecuador’s banana, consumed in Spain, is 1.25 tonne CO2eq/tonne of bananas (or 0.84 tonne CO2eq/tonne
of bananas if consumption is excluded, with the value chain ending at the
stage of RDC). The stages within the value chain that contribute the most GHG emissions to global warming are Plantation (22.1 percent, average), Consumption (19.2 percent, average), Sea Transport (18.7 percent, average) and Transportation from the port of entry to the ripening facility (18.0 percent, average).
Taking into account the previous studies that have been undertaken with regard to the carbon footprint of the banana and the uncertainties and weakness that have been identified, special effort has been made in this evaluation to
refine the calculation of N2O direct emissions at the plantation and maritime transportation levels. The values in this study are lower or are in line with those available in the literature, but their calculation is considered more tailored to the characteristics of Ecuador’s banana production.
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