IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v14y2022i7p4159-d784223.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

A Systems Thinking Approach Investigating the Estimated Environmental and Economic Benefits and Limitations of Industrial Hemp Cultivation in Ireland from 2017–2021

Author

Listed:
  • Sinéad M. Madden

    (Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Limerick, V94 T9PX Limerick, Ireland)

  • Alan Ryan

    (Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Limerick, V94 T9PX Limerick, Ireland)

  • Patrick Walsh

    (Enterprise Research Unit, University of Limerick, V94 T9PX Limerick, Ireland)

Abstract

There may be unrecognised environmental and economic benefits in cultivating industrial hemp for CO 2 sequestration in Ireland. By using a Systems Thinking approach, this study aims to answer how industrial hemp, which can sequester between 10 tonnes (t) to 22 t of CO 2 emissions per hectare, has been helpful towards carbon sequestration efforts in Ireland. A mixed-methods design combining qualitative and quantitative secondary material is used to inform Behaviour over Time Graphs (BoTGs) to illustrate the data from 2017 to 2021. In 2019 at its peak of hemp cultivation in Ireland the total CO 2 emissions from agriculture was 21,156.92 kilotonnes, and the total land cultivated with hemp was 547 hectares which represented an estimated 0.0079% of total land use and 0.011% of agricultural land use. Based on a sequestration rate of between 10 t and 22 t of CO 2 , industrial hemp had the potential to remove between 5470 t and 24,068 t of CO 2 in 2019. The total amount of estimated CO 2 sequestrated between 2017 and 2021 was between 14,660 t and 64,504 t of CO 2 . This represents an estimated contribution in carbon tax equivalent of between €348,805 and €1,534,742, respectively.

Suggested Citation

  • Sinéad M. Madden & Alan Ryan & Patrick Walsh, 2022. "A Systems Thinking Approach Investigating the Estimated Environmental and Economic Benefits and Limitations of Industrial Hemp Cultivation in Ireland from 2017–2021," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(7), pages 1-21, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:7:p:4159-:d:784223
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/7/4159/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/7/4159/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Hübler, Michael & Löschel, Andreas, 2013. "The EU Decarbonisation Roadmap 2050—What way to walk?," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 190-207.
    2. Finnan, John & Styles, David, 2013. "Hemp: A more sustainable annual energy crop for climate and energy policy," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 58(C), pages 152-162.
    3. Cherubini, Francesco & Bird, Neil D. & Cowie, Annette & Jungmeier, Gerfried & Schlamadinger, Bernhard & Woess-Gallasch, Susanne, 2009. "Energy- and greenhouse gas-based LCA of biofuel and bioenergy systems: Key issues, ranges and recommendations," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 53(8), pages 434-447.
    4. Rajagopal, Deepak & Zilberman, David, 2013. "On market-mediated emissions and regulations on life cycle emissions," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 90(C), pages 77-84.
    5. Murphy, Fionnuala & Devlin, Ger & McDonnell, Kevin, 2013. "Miscanthus production and processing in Ireland: An analysis of energy requirements and environmental impacts," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 23(C), pages 412-420.
    6. Rehman, Muhammad Saif Ur & Rashid, Naim & Saif, Ameena & Mahmood, Tariq & Han, Jong-In, 2013. "Potential of bioenergy production from industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa): Pakistan perspective," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 18(C), pages 154-164.
    7. Enio Campiglia & Laura Gobbi & Alvaro Marucci & Mattia Rapa & Roberto Ruggieri & Giuliana Vinci, 2020. "Hemp Seed Production: Environmental Impacts of Cannabis sativa L. Agronomic Practices by Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Carbon Footprint Methodologies," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(16), pages 1-15, August.
    8. Ifeoluwa Adesina & Arnab Bhowmik & Harmandeep Sharma & Abolghasem Shahbazi, 2020. "A Review on the Current State of Knowledge of Growing Conditions, Agronomic Soil Health Practices and Utilities of Hemp in the United States," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 10(4), pages 1-15, April.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    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. Pandey, Vimal Chandra & Bajpai, Omesh & Singh, Nandita, 2016. "Energy crops in sustainable phytoremediation," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 54(C), pages 58-73.
    2. Parvez, Ashak Mahmud & Lewis, Jonathan David & Afzal, Muhammad T., 2021. "Potential of industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) for bioenergy production in Canada: Status, challenges and outlook," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 141(C).
    3. Leonel Jorge Ribeiro Nunes & Radu Godina & João Carlos de Oliveira Matias, 2019. "Technological Innovation in Biomass Energy for the Sustainable Growth of Textile Industry," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(2), pages 1-12, January.
    4. Jane Kolodinsky & Hannah Lacasse & Katherine Gallagher, 2020. "Making Hemp Choices: Evidence from Vermont," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(15), pages 1-15, August.
    5. Rafał Nagaj & Bożena Gajdzik & Radosław Wolniak & Wieslaw Wes Grebski, 2024. "The Impact of Deep Decarbonization Policy on the Level of Greenhouse Gas Emissions in the European Union," Energies, MDPI, vol. 17(5), pages 1-23, March.
    6. Rives, Jesús & Fernandez-Rodriguez, Ivan & Gabarrell, Xavier & Rieradevall, Joan, 2012. "Environmental analysis of cork granulate production in Catalonia – Northern Spain," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 58(C), pages 132-142.
    7. Oriana Gava & Fabio Bartolini & Francesca Venturi & Gianluca Brunori & Angela Zinnai & Alberto Pardossi, 2018. "A Reflection of the Use of the Life Cycle Assessment Tool for Agri-Food Sustainability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(1), pages 1-16, December.
    8. Enrica De Cian & Ilkka Keppo & Johannes Bollen & Samuel Carrara & Hannah Förster & Michael Hübler & Amit Kanudia & Sergey Paltsev & Ronald D. Sands & Katja Schumacher, 2013. "European-Led Climate Policy Versus Global Mitigation Action: Implications On Trade, Technology, And Energy," Climate Change Economics (CCE), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 4(supp0), pages 1-28.
    9. Mattia Rapa & Laura Gobbi & Roberto Ruggieri, 2020. "Environmental and Economic Sustainability of Electric Vehicles: Life Cycle Assessment and Life Cycle Costing Evaluation of Electricity Sources," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(23), pages 1-16, November.
    10. Seber, Gonca & Escobar, Neus & Valin, Hugo & Malina, Robert, 2022. "Uncertainty in life cycle greenhouse gas emissions of sustainable aviation fuels from vegetable oils," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 170(C).
    11. Antimiani, Alessandro & Costantini, Valeria & Kuik, Onno & Paglialunga, Elena, 2016. "Mitigation of adverse effects on competitiveness and leakage of unilateral EU climate policy: An assessment of policy instruments," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 128(C), pages 246-259.
    12. Gigliola Ausiello & Luca Di Girolamo & Antonio Marano, 2019. "Sustainable Requalification: Hemp, Raw Earth, Sun, and Wind for Energy Strategies in a Case Study in Naples, Italy," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(21), pages 1-13, November.
    13. Mu, Yaqian & Wang, Can & Cai, Wenjia, 2018. "The economic impact of China's INDC: Distinguishing the roles of the renewable energy quota and the carbon market," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 81(P2), pages 2955-2966.
    14. Ivana Bajić & Borivoj Pejić & Vladimir Sikora & Mirjana Kostić & Aleksandra Ivanovska & Biljana Pejić & Bojan Vojnov, 2022. "The Effects of Irrigation, Topping, and Interrow Spacing on the Yield and Quality of Hemp ( Cannabis sativa L.) Fibers in Temperate Climatic Conditions," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 12(11), pages 1-17, November.
    15. Michael Hübler & Axel Herdecke, 2020. "The US trade dispute: blunt offense or rational strategy?," Applied Economics Letters, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 27(9), pages 690-696, May.
    16. Verma, Puneet & Sharma, M.P. & Dwivedi, Gaurav, 2016. "Impact of alcohol on biodiesel production and properties," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 56(C), pages 319-333.
    17. Zygmunt Stanula & Marek Wieruszewski & Adam Zydroń & Krzysztof Adamowicz, 2023. "Optimizing Forest-Biomass-Distribution Logistics from a Multi-Level Perspective—Review," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(24), pages 1-17, December.
    18. Simoes, Sofia & Nijs, Wouter & Ruiz, Pablo & Sgobbi, Alessandra & Thiel, Christian, 2017. "Comparing policy routes for low-carbon power technology deployment in EU – an energy system analysis," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 101(C), pages 353-365.
    19. Raja Chowdhury & Nidia Caetano & Matthew J. Franchetti & Kotnoor Hariprasad, 2023. "Life Cycle Based GHG Emissions from Algae Based Bioenergy with a Special Emphasis on Climate Change Indicators and Their Uses in Dynamic LCA: A Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-19, January.
    20. Jasinskas, Algirdas & Streikus, Dionizas & Vonžodas, Tomas, 2020. "Fibrous hemp (Felina 32, USO 31, Finola) and fibrous nettle processing and usage of pressed biofuel for energy purposes," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 149(C), pages 11-21.

    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:14:y:2022:i:7:p:4159-:d:784223. 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.