A pathway to sustainable berry farming
New research
Lifecycles has recently published new research in the Australian Berry Journal (Spring 2025 edition, pages 72–75), presenting the first industry-wide assessment of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from Australian raspberry and blackberry production. Conducted under the Hort Innovation project Strengthening the sustainability of Rubus production (RB22001), the study used ISO 14044–compliant Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to quantify an industry-average carbon footprint of 2.2 kg CO₂-e/kg for raspberries and 1.7 kg CO₂-e/kg for blackberries at farm gate.
Key emission hotspots identified include crop protection infrastructure, packaging, on-farm energy use and fertilisers. Regional differences were also observed, with northern production regions showing higher intensities due to irrigation energy and yield variation.
The study also explored practical mitigation opportunities. The most impactful pathways include increasing solar electricity use and electrifying vehicles, improving yields, optimising packaging design and recycled content, enhancing fertiliser use efficiency, and extending the life of tunnels and trellis systems.
This evidence base provides a clear roadmap for reducing emissions across the Rubus sector.
Readers can access the full article in the Australian Berry Journal via the link below.
