J Tonatto, LP Garolera De Nucci, D Gutierrez, F Padovani and ER Romero
Estación Experimental Agroindustrial Obispo Colombres, William Cross 3150, Las Talitas – Tucumán, Argentina
At a global level, significant efforts are focused on taking action to minimize climate change effects. Agricultural production and the industrialization of crops generate environmental, social, and economic impacts throughout the value chain. Currently, there is a National Integrated Risk Management Program for the Rural Agro-industrial System (GIRSAR) that manages risks (primarily climatic) in the Argentinian agroindustry, adopting mitigation, extension, and emergency responses at a national scale. As part of the GIRSAR Program, the local project “Strategies to reduce the impact of climate change on small-scale sugarcane growers in the province of Tucumán” is being developed, including two agricultural cooperatives with 279 members. This project aims to introduce sugarcane growers to use tools and farming practices that contribute to the sustainable management of sugarcane fields. The carbon footprint is a key indicator of the environmental performance of productive activities. In a cooperative of small-scale sugarcane growers, estimating the carbon footprint is essential for improving sustainability, increasing competitiveness, and responding to future market demands. The goal of this study is to assess the carbon footprint of Cooperativa Trabajadores Unidos de Trabajo Agropecuario Ltda. (Famaillá, Tucumán) in sugarcane production during the 2022-2023 harvest using the Cool Farm Tool (version 2.1). Transportation of sugarcane to the mill and the production of machinery and infrastructure were not included. The estimated carbon footprint was 29.4 kg CO2e/t cane, and when the estimation was referred per unit area, the result was 1,821.3 kg CO2e/ha. This study is significant as it is the first sustainability assessment conducted on this association of smallholder sugarcane farmers in Tucumán. Results allow identifying hot spots, providing information to optimize resource use, reduce overall environmental impacts, and compare the environmental performance over time.