Environmental sustainability of traditional foods: the case of ancient apple cultivars in Northern Italy assessed by multifunctional LCA

The marketing strategy for traditional food products is often based around their strong connection with their production region and claims of a lower environmental impact due to being grown in the agricultural area for which they were selected. Such traditional foods often comprise ancient cultivars that are unsuitable for large-scale distribution, but generally require less agricultural inputs. However, specific environmental evaluations of ancient cultivars in comparison with commercial cultivars are very rare. This study investigated ancient apple cultivars in Piemonte (Northern Italy) as a case study of traditional food in the framework of sustainable food production. The production of three representative apple cultivars, Grigia di Torriana, Magnana and Runsé, from Torino and Cuneo provinces was investigated using LCA methodology. In particular, the environmental impacts of these cultivars were compared with those of the commercial cultivar Golden Delicious. The study was performed in accordance with ISO 14040 standards, using the cradle-to-gate approach and the EDIP assessment method. Three different functional units were considered: the production of 1 t of fruit, the growth of 1 ha of orchard, and the earning of €1000 income by the grower. Considering impacts per tonne of product, Golden Delicious had the best environmental performance in most impact categories investigated. However, considering impacts per hectare and €1000 income, the ancient cultivars had the best environmental performance in almost all impact categories. As the impacts of fruit production depended heavily on the functional unit chosen, it is not possible to directly recommend which cultivar should be grown to increase the environmental sustainability. However, the results obtained regarding environmental efficiency and sustainability could be included together with other parameters to make a systemic assessment of different cultivars, which could be useful for policymakers, growers and other stakeholders.