Eco-efficiency analysis of selected tropical fruit production systems in Iran

Assessment of sustainability is the first step in transition towards a sustainable agricultural system. The eco-efficiency analysis is gaining attention as a criterion defined to examine the economic and environmental sustainability of food systems. Accordingly, the present study evaluated the eco-efficiency of selected tropical fruit production systems in the southeast of Iran. The investigated tropical fruits were banana, mango, jujube, guava, and sapodilla, and the life cycle assessment methodology was employed to investigate the environmental impacts of the investigated systems. The net income and global warming potential were selected to be the economic and environmental indicators, respectively. Economic analysis revealed that the guava production system had the highest production cost with $531 t −1 , while the highest net income belonged to mango with $2339 t −1 . The environmental impact analysis revealed that the jujube production system had the largest negative impacts on the four investigated damage categories: climate change, resources, human health, and ecosystem quality. The calculated eco-efficiency index for banana, mango, jujube, guava, and sapodilla was 6.0, 12.9, 0.5, 3.4, and 2.6 $ kgCO 2 eq −1 , respectively. Overall, mango production was identified as the most eco-efficient tropical fruit production system in the investigated area.