Dairy Buffalo Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) Affected by a Management Choice: The Production of Wheat Crop

Life cycle assessment (LCA) was performed in dairy buffalo farms representative of Southern Italian farming systems, similar due to several characteristics, with the exception wheat production. This work evaluated impacts derived from this management choice, comparing crop (WWC) or not (NWC). In agreement literature, economic allocation chosen as a useful strategy attribute equivalents by-products, i.e., culled animals; same criterion also adopted assign pollutants grain, limited WWC farms. Environmental terms Global Warming Potential (GWP, kg CO2 eq), Acidification (AC, g SO2 Eutrophication (EU, PO43-eq), Agricultural Land Occupation (ALO, m2y) and Water Depletion (WD, m3) were estimated. The production significantly affected (p < 0.05) (ALO) category need adequate land. could allow significant reduction eutrophication (EU) compared NWC 0.05).