IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v8y2016i8p728-d74985.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The Milk Supply Chain in Italy’s Umbria Region: Environmental and Economic Sustainability

Author

Listed:
  • Lucio Cecchini

    (Department of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Science, University of Perugia, Borgo XX Giugno, 74, 06126 Perugia, Italy)

  • Biancamaria Torquati

    (Department of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Science, University of Perugia, Borgo XX Giugno, 74, 06126 Perugia, Italy)

  • Chiara Paffarini

    (Department of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Science, University of Perugia, Borgo XX Giugno, 74, 06126 Perugia, Italy)

  • Marco Barbanera

    (CRB—Biomass Research Centre, Via G. Duranti, 63, 06125 Perugia, Italy)

  • Daniele Foschini

    (CRB—Biomass Research Centre, Via G. Duranti, 63, 06125 Perugia, Italy)

  • Massimo Chiorri

    (Department of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Science, University of Perugia, Borgo XX Giugno, 74, 06126 Perugia, Italy)

Abstract

This article aims to investigate the environmental and economic sustainability of five dairy farms in the Umbria Region (Italy). The study also provides an assessment of aggregate sustainability, which is less investigated with reference to cattle milk both globally and in Italy, through the analysis of the relationship between economic and environmental performance. Primary data were collected through a direct survey carried out in 2014. The environmental assessment was conducted with a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) “cradle to farm gate” approach, while the economic dimension was evaluated by determining the direct and indirect costs related to the factors involved in the production process. A correlation analysis and a linear regression were performed in order to study the relationship between the carbon footprint (CF) and operating income. The average operating income amounted to 0.03 Euro/L of milk. The CF values of the five companies are contained within a variation range comprised between 0.90 and 1.76 kg CO 2 eq/L of milk. The existence of an inverse relationship between the CF of milk and operating income confirms the hypothesis regarding the possibility of implementing strategies aimed at improving performance in both investigated dimensions at the same time, thus increasing the aggregate sustainability.

Suggested Citation

  • Lucio Cecchini & Biancamaria Torquati & Chiara Paffarini & Marco Barbanera & Daniele Foschini & Massimo Chiorri, 2016. "The Milk Supply Chain in Italy’s Umbria Region: Environmental and Economic Sustainability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(8), pages 1-15, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:8:y:2016:i:8:p:728-:d:74985
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/8/8/728/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/8/8/728/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Giulio Mario Cappelletti & Giuseppe Ioppolo & Giuseppe Martino Nicoletti & Carlo Russo, 2014. "Energy Requirement of Extra Virgin Olive Oil Production," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 6(8), pages 1-9, August.
    2. Tuomisto, H.L. & Hodge, I.D. & Riordan, P. & Macdonald, D.W., 2012. "Comparing energy balances, greenhouse gas balances and biodiversity impacts of contrasting farming systems with alternative land uses," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 108(C), pages 42-49.
    3. Thomassen, M.A. & van Calker, K.J. & Smits, M.C.J. & Iepema, G.L. & de Boer, I.J.M., 2008. "Life cycle assessment of conventional and organic milk production in the Netherlands," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 96(1-3), pages 95-107, March.
    4. Flysjö, Anna & Henriksson, Maria & Cederberg, Christel & Ledgard, Stewart & Englund, Jan-Eric, 2011. "The impact of various parameters on the carbon footprint of milk production in New Zealand and Sweden," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 104(6), pages 459-469, July.
    5. Klaas Calker & Paul Berentsen & Gerard Giesen & Ruud Huirne, 2005. "Identifying and ranking attributes that determine sustainability in Dutch dairy farming," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 22(1), pages 53-63, March.
    6. Van Passel, Steven & Nevens, Frank & Mathijs, Erik & Van Huylenbroeck, Guido, 2007. "Measuring farm sustainability and explaining differences in sustainable efficiency," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 62(1), pages 149-161, April.
    7. Thomassen, M.A. & Dolman, M.A. & van Calker, K.J. & de Boer, I.J.M., 2009. "Relating life cycle assessment indicators to gross value added for Dutch dairy farms," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 68(8-9), pages 2278-2284, June.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Jihui Wu & Xiaofei Zhang & Jianjun Lu, 2018. "Empirical Research on Influencing Factors of Sustainable Supply Chain Management—Evidence from Beijing, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(5), pages 1-12, May.
    2. Claudio Baudino & Nicole Roberta Giuggioli & Rossella Briano & Stefano Massaglia & Cristiana Peano, 2017. "Integrated Methodologies (SWOT, TOWS, LCA) for Improving Production Chains and Environmental Sustainability of Kiwifruit and Baby Kiwi in Italy," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(9), pages 1-18, September.
    3. Patrik Mouron & Christian Willersinn & Sabrina Möbius & Jens Lansche, 2016. "Environmental Profile of the Swiss Supply Chain for French Fries: Effects of Food Loss Reduction, Loss Treatments and Process Modifications," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(12), pages 1-20, November.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Van Middelaar, C.E. & Berentsen, P.B.M. & Dijkstra, J. & De Boer, I.J.M., 2013. "Evaluation of a feeding strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from dairy farming: The level of analysis matters," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 121(C), pages 9-22.
    2. Veronika Fenyves & Tibor Tarnóczi & Zoltán Bács & Dóra Kerezsi & Péter Bajnai & Mihály Szoboszlai, 2022. "Financial efficiency analysis of Hungarian agriculture, fisheries and forestry sector," Agricultural Economics, Czech Academy of Agricultural Sciences, vol. 68(11), pages 413-426.
    3. Danilo Bertoni & Daniele Cavicchioli & Franco Donzelli & Giovanni Ferrazzi & Dario G. Frisio & Roberto Pretolani & Elena Claire Ricci & Vera Ventura, 2018. "Recent Contributions of Agricultural Economics Research in the Field of Sustainable Development," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 8(12), pages 1-20, December.
    4. O'Brien, D. & Bohan, A. & McHugh, N. & Shalloo, L., 2016. "A life cycle assessment of the effect of intensification on the environmental impacts and resource use of grass-based sheep farming," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 148(C), pages 95-104.
    5. Thomassen, M.A. & Dolman, M.A. & van Calker, K.J. & de Boer, I.J.M., 2009. "Relating life cycle assessment indicators to gross value added for Dutch dairy farms," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 68(8-9), pages 2278-2284, June.
    6. Paracchini, Maria Luisa & Bulgheroni, Claudia & Borreani, Giorgio & Tabacco, Ernesto & Banterle, Alessandro & Bertoni, Danilo & Rossi, Graziano & Parolo, Gilberto & Origgi, Roberto & De Paola, Claudio, 2015. "A diagnostic system to assess sustainability at a farm level: The SOSTARE model," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 133(C), pages 35-53.
    7. Oishi, Kazato & Kato, Yohei & Ogino, Akifumi & Hirooka, Hiroyuki, 2013. "Economic and environmental impacts of changes in culling parity of cows and diet composition in Japanese beef cow–calf production systems," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 115(C), pages 95-103.
    8. Oudshoorn, Frank W. & Sørensen, Claus Aage G. & de Boer, Imke I.J.M., 2011. "Economic and environmental evaluation of three goal-vision based scenarios for organic dairy farming in Denmark," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 104(4), pages 315-325, April.
    9. Gerdessen, Johanna C. & Pascucci, Stefano, 2013. "Data Envelopment Analysis of sustainability indicators of European agricultural systems at regional level," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 118(C), pages 78-90.
    10. Martinho, Vítor João Pereira Domingues, 2021. "Direct and indirect energy consumption in farming: Impacts from fertilizer use," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 236(C).
    11. Nijdam, Durk & Rood, Trudy & Westhoek, Henk, 2012. "The price of protein: Review of land use and carbon footprints from life cycle assessments of animal food products and their substitutes," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 37(6), pages 760-770.
    12. Francesco Galioto & Chiara Paffarini & Massimo Chiorri & Biancamaria Torquati & Lucio Cecchini, 2017. "Economic, Environmental, and Animal Welfare Performance on Livestock Farms: Conceptual Model and Application to Some Case Studies in Italy," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(9), pages 1-22, September.
    13. Oulu, Martin, 2015. "The unequal exchange of Dutch cheese and Kenyan roses: Introducing and testing an LCA-based methodology for estimating ecologically unequal exchange," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 119(C), pages 372-383.
    14. Lambotte, Mathieu & De Cara, Stéphane & Brocas, Catherine & Bellassen, Valentin, 2021. "Carbon footprint and economic performance of dairy farms: The case of protected designation of origin farms in France," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 186(C).
    15. van der Meulen, H.A.B. & Dolman, M.A. & Jager, J.H. & Venema, G.S., 2014. "The impact of farm size on sustainability of Dutch dairy farms," International Journal of Agricultural Management, Institute of Agricultural Management, vol. 3(2), pages 1-5, January.
    16. Chun-Youl Baek & Kyu-Hyun Park & Kiyotaka Tahara & Yoon-Young Chun, 2017. "Data Quality Assessment of the Uncertainty Analysis Applied to the Greenhouse Gas Emissions of a Dairy Cow System," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(10), pages 1-17, September.
    17. Hafiz Muhammad Abrar Ilyas & Majeed Safa & Alison Bailey & Sara Rauf & Marvin Pangborn, 2019. "The Carbon Footprint of Energy Consumption in Pastoral and Barn Dairy Farming Systems: A Case Study from Canterbury, New Zealand," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(17), pages 1-15, September.
    18. Jana Hornungová & František Milichovský, 2018. "Agricultural Sector Performance Evaluation in Terms of Financial Indicators: A Comparison of Czech Republic, Slovakia and Western Balkan States," Acta Universitatis Agriculturae et Silviculturae Mendelianae Brunensis, Mendel University Press, vol. 66(2), pages 497-507.
    19. Moretti, Michele & De Boni, Annalisa & Roma, Rocco & Fracchiolla, Mariano & Van Passel, Steven, 2016. "Integrated assessment of agro-ecological systems: The case study of the “Alta Murgia” National park in Italy," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 144(C), pages 144-155.
    20. Emilio Sabia & Sarah Kühl & Laura Flach & Christian Lambertz & Matthias Gauly, 2020. "Effect of Feed Concentrate Intake on the Environmental Impact of Dairy Cows in an Alpine Mountain Region Including Soil Carbon Sequestration and Effect on Biodiversity," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(5), pages 1-14, March.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:8:y:2016:i:8:p:728-:d:74985. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.