Sustainability Assessment of Greenhouse Pepper Production Scenarios in Southeastern Spain

Life cycle costing (LCC), combined with life assessment (LCA), is a useful tool not only to assess the sustainability of specific production system, but also possible scenarios. Greenhouse pepper cultivation in Campo de Cartagena (Murcia, Spain) has evolved over last three decades towards system that increasingly respectful environment and line demands European markets. However, it deal changing circumstances affect environmental costs: specifically, substitution chemical disinfection soil by plants resistant nematodes, significant increase use desalinated seawater for irrigation. The results this work, combining LCC LCA, show sustainable high productivity, costs associated inputs are relatively low, great socioeconomic importance, impacts low relation greenhouse peppers or tomatoes other areas, particularly if seeds varieties available. In addition, robust capable adapting changes faces short medium term, while maintaining its sustainability.