Environmental impact study of sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) production using life cycle assessment (Case study: South Khorasan region)

The importance of environmental protection in modern communities is vital, the action and implementation of any program requires the sufficient knowledge and understanding of environment. One of the methods to preserve natural resources and achieving sustainable development, especially sustainable agriculture, is the environmentally evaluation of agriculture production processes. Life cycle assessment approach is an accepted method for determining the side effects of a production process on environment during its complete life cycle. In this research, the impacts of global warming, acidification, fossil resources depletion and water resources depletion of sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) production on environment is investigated using life cycle assessment method in Khezri Farming Company, one of the major production areas in South Khorasan province. The final environmental indices for global warming, acidification, fossil resource depletion and water resources depletion were 0.0003, 0.002, 0.025 and 0.073, respectively. In other words, the effect of water resources depletion has the greatest damaging potential on environment among others in sugar beet production in this region.