Life cycle assessment of conventional and organic farming in the DOC trial

Thomas Nemecek, David Dubois, Lucie Gunst and Gérard Gaillard
Swiss Federal Research Station for Agroecology and Agriculture, CH-8046 Zurich, Switzerland
Contact: +41 1 377 72 54, Thomas.Nemecek@fal.admin.ch, www.reckenholz.ch

Abstract
The environmental impacts of the conventional and organic farming systems practised in the DOC trial (organic-dynamic, organic and conventional farming) have been assessed by the SALCA life cycle assessment method.

Both organic farming systems were more favourable for the environment in all investigated impacts per area unit. When analysed per product unit, clear advantages of organic farming were found for ecotoxicity and the use of mineral resources, while energy use and eutrophication were similar to conventional farming.

Reducing fertilisation by 50% led to lower or equal environmental impacts for all systems, depending on the impact category and the functional unit. The analysis of single crops revealed large differences that are partly counterbalanced by other crops in the crop rotation. The ecoefficiency of organic potato production in particular should be improved.

More Information

Frischknecht R., Jungbluth N., Althaus H.-J., Doka G., Hellweg S., Hischier R., Nemecek T., Rebitzer G. &
Spielmann M. (2004) Overview and Methodology. ecoinvent report No. 1. Swiss Centre for Life Cycle
Inventories, Dübendorf, 75 p. http://www.ecoinvent.ch/download/01_OverviewAndMethodology.pdf