Environmental profile of organic dry pasta

Abstract

In this work, the cradle-to-grave environmental profile of an organic pasta production chain was assessed and compared to that of a typical conventional one, by using a well-known life-cycle assessment software in compliance with a few single- or multiple-issue standard methods. Both products relied on national durum wheat grains, were made in Italian medium-sized pasta factories, and packed in 0.5-kg polypropylene bags. All these methods identified the durum wheat cultivation and pasta cooking phases as the main hotspots. The organic pasta production chain was characterized by 10-46% higher scores than conventional pasta, mainly because the smaller organic grain yield per hectare requesting larger land occupation resulted in a greater damage to the ecosystem quality.