Report: Environmental footprint of the Uruguayan citrus sector

This report presents the results of the INIA-FPTA 386 project, aimed at assessing the environmental footprint of the Uruguayan citrus system using primary technical data and harmonized life-cycle assessment (LCA) methodologies. It is the first study to quantify, with national representativeness, the environmental impacts associated with orange, mandarin, and lemon production, from cultivation through the post-harvest stage. The work was carried out by an inter-institutional team comprising UPEFRUY, UdelaR, UPV, and MGAP, with the direct participation of six citrus companies. Inputs, resource use, and yields from the 2022-2023 period provided the analytical basis. The final sample included 376 production plots, selected through a stratified statistical procedure that ensures the robustness and validity of the results.

The study evaluates a total of twenty environmental impact indicators, selected for their relevance to Uruguayan citriculture and calculated using internationally recognized characterization factors. Results are reported per tonne and per hectare, disaggregated by species and crop stage. The analysis shows that impact patterns vary substantially across species and impact categories, and that differences between stages are more pronounced when results are expressed per tonne, due to yield effects in the early years of production. These features underscore the importance of a disaggregated reading to accurately interpret environmental performance.

Field operations account for the majority of environmental burdens, although the dominant contributing processes differ by impact category. Recurrent hotspots include fertilizer production and application, emissions associated with input use, fuel consumption by agricultural machinery, pesticide production, and irrigation water use. Post-harvest impacts are generally much lower. For example, in the climate change category, the estimated footprint was 165.69 kg CO₂ eq. per tonne and 2,080.79 kg CO₂ eq. per hectare, with post-harvest contributing 6.43 kg CO₂ eq. per tonne (approximately 4% of the total).

Overall, this report provides a robust technical baseline to guide environmental improvement actions within the sector and to establish comparable references for progress monitoring, market communication, and public policy design. The strength of the inventories, the methodological consistency of the analysis, and the participatory process involving companies and key stakeholders reinforce the credibility of the results and support their application in planning, evaluation, and sectoral dialogue on citrus environmental sustainability.