Assessing the Life Cycle of Apple Production in View of Energy and Environmental Pollutants (Case Study: Urmia and Mahabad Cities)

Energy is one of the main components of the sustainable development strategy of any country. Efficient use of energy must be considered to support agricultural production; Because in addition to economic savings, it protects fossil resources. On the other hand, intensive agriculture, which is based on the intensive use of agricultural inputs, machinery, fossil and non-fossil energy, is itself the cause of many of the world's environmental problems today. In this study, the energy and environmental impacts of apple production in West Azarbaijan Province have been evaluated. To collect required data on the production process, a questionnaire was filled out and interviews were conducted with 141 gardeners in the area. The results showed that the energy ratio is equal to 1.65, and the net energy added was equal to 27.780 MJ/ha. Among the energy sources, diesel fuel accounted for the highest share of total energy inputs (61%). To evaluate the environmental impacts of apple production, the life cycle assessment approach was used and ten parts of the work were examined. The results of the life cycle assessment showed that chemical pesticides, diesel fuel and nitrogen fertilizer had a great influence on the parts of the study.