Avaliação da sustentabilidade do ciclo de vida aplicada a produção citrícola da laranja orgânica

Abstract

Orange production holds a prominent position in global agriculture, with Brazil being the world’s largest producer. Despite the environmental and social relevance of organic systems, the literature lacked studies that applied life cycle sustainability assessment (LCSA) in an integrated manner to this production model. The system’s complexity and the urgency for more sustainable practices make this approach essential for decision-making and the formulation of public policies. The objective of this study was to measure the environmental, social, and cost performance of organic orange production through life cycle sustainability assessment in the Alto Paranapanema watershed region. The methodology was divided into two main stages. First, a systematic literature review was conducted using the Scopus and Web of Science databases, applying inclusion and exclusion criteria to select studies addressing environmental, social, and life cycle costing assessments in orange production. The review aimed to map the state of the art, identify scientific gaps, and consolidate the study’s theoretical foundation. In the second stage, the LCSA was applied to two organic orange production systems located in the municipalities of Buri and Itapetininga, using primary data collected from producers. The approach followed the methodological assumptions of ISO standards 14040, 14044, and 14075, integrating individual assessments through theoretical summation based on a shared objective and scope. The analysis was complemented by a sensitivity assessment to test scenarios involving input substitution, revenue increase, and compliance with labor legislation. The life cycle sustainability analysis of organic orange production in Buri and Itapetininga revealed significant environmental advantages compared to the conventional system, highlighting aspects such as lower human toxicity, reduced acidification of water and soil, and partial recovery of degraded areas, reflected by negative values in land transformation. Critical challenges were identified, including high dependence on fossil-based energy sources and negative environmental impacts associated with the intensive use of cattle manure, especially regarding climate change and high freshwater ecotoxicity. Alternatives such as replacing cattle manure with poultry manure showed reduced impacts, pointing to potential pathways for improving environmental sustainability. From an economic perspective, organic systems showed substantial operational costs, with preventive maintenance of infrastructure and the high opportunity cost of owned land being particularly sensitive issues. These findings highlight the difficulty of diluting fixed costs due to the limited production scale and lack of specific financing. In this context, payments for ecosystem services and carbon credits emerge as strategic alternatives to economically support these systems. On the other hand, the social assessment revealed concerning contradictions: irregular labor practices, including informality and economic exploitation of migrant workers. These findings underscore the urgent need for effective public policies to ensure labor formalization and protection of rural workers’ fundamental rights, emphasizing that, despite the clear environmental benefits, organic production will only be truly sustainable when the current social and economic gaps are addressed