Environmental impacts of olive oil production: a Life Cycle Assessment case study in the province of Messina (Sicily)

The olive oil industry is a significant productive sector in the European Union; indeed, three quarters of world production is concentrated in Europe. After Spain, Italy is the second largest olive oil producing country (27% and 20% of European and world production respectively) and Sicily is the third most important olive oil producing region in Italy (8% of Italian production) after Puglia and Calabria which account for almost 70% of national production. In Sicily, the province of Messina occupies sixth place in regional production and production is characterized by eight predominant cultivars (with different nutritional, organoleptic and productivity characteristics) and a variety of different practices and techniques for the agricultural production of olives and for their processing into olive oil. Depending on these differences, the production of olive oil is associated with several adverse effects on the environment, both in the agricultural and olive oil production phases. The aim of this paper is to provide useful information for taking strategic decisions aimed at the improvement and optimization of the local olive oil production chain in the province of Messina. To this purpose the LCA methodology has been used to determine the potential environmental impacts of activities connected to olive oil production in the province, in order to identify the processes which give rise to the most significant environmental problems and to design a more efficient and environmentally friendly local olive oil chain. Data on the various agricultural and industrial methods used in the province were obtained through the development of a questionnaire, then distributed to a sample of companies of the local association of oil producers (APOM). The study is part of the Eco-Management for Food - EMAF - Project (PRIN 2008 No. 2008TXFBYT - http://ww2.unime.it/emaf) co-funded by the Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research (MIUR).