Environmental Implications of Agricultural Practices Among Smallholders: The Case of Biofertilizer Production for Forage Oat Cultivation

Biofertilizers are often presented as a more ecological alternative that allows for the utilization of agricultural residues and reduces dependence on chemical fertilizers. This study uses the life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology to analyze the environmental implications of producing forage oats on a small scale, considering three fertilization strategies: (1) application of a biofertilizer, (2) application of an inorganic fertilizer, and (3) no fertilization. Two functional units (FUs) were evaluated within a cradle-to-farm-gate system boundary: one ton of oats and one harvested hectare. The results show that while forage oat production using inorganic fertilizers yields a high output (6.20 t/ha of oat dry matter), it also results in the most significant environmental impacts across both FUs (e.g., 262 kg Carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2 eq)/ton and 1620 kg CO2 eq/ha). In contrast, using biofertilizers increases the yield to 7.05 t/ha of oat dry matter while decreasing environmental impacts (e.g., 80.1 kg CO2 eq/ton and 564 kg CO2 eq/ha). Finally, when no fertilization is used, the yield decreases significantly (4.92 t/ha of oat dry matter), while the environmental performance varies depending on the FU considered (e.g., 98.1 kg CO2 eq/ton and 482 kg CO2 eq/ha). This study shows that, compared to inorganic fertilization or no fertilization at all, biofertilizers optimize both production and environmental performance. Therefore, biofertilization is a key strategy for managing residues and reducing environmental impacts in this case study.