Carbon Footprint of Strawberry Production in Florida.

Climate change is now accepted by the majority of the scientific community as a real and present threat to our livelihood. Now, society is starting to demand actions from governments and the private sector to reduce the emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG) across the globe. The latest science indicates that a large-scale reduction of greenhouse gas emissions will be required across its many sources in our economy, including the agricultural sector, to reduce the anticipated increases in global temperatures. The main objective of this study was to determine the baseline GHG emissions, including carbon dioxide (CO₂), Nitrous Oxide (N₂O) and methane (CH₄) that are emitted during the process of production and transportation of strawberry in Florida. Activities included in the inventory process ranged from tractor operations to production, transport, and storage of agrochemicals both in the nurseries and in the production fields in Florida. Total footprint ranged from 0.29 to 0.38 lbs of carbon dioxide equivalent per lb of strawberry.