Assessing environmental impacts and ecosystem services of Hops crop in Galicia, NW Spain: critical contributors for sustainable cultivation strategies

Abstract

Hops (Humulus lupulus) is a crop of great interest due to its use in the brewing industry; however, the environmental impacts associated with its cultivation remain largely unexplored. Therefore, this study provides the first evaluation of the environmental performance of hops cultivation using the Life Cycle Assessment methodology, with a case study of Galicia, NW Spain. The system boundaries, following a cradle-to-farm-gate approach, included all field operations throughout its entire lifespan (20 years), with primary data obtained directly from farmers. Impact categories such as Global Warming, Eutrophication, Ecotoxicity and Water Scarcity were considered. The main environmental hotspots identified were irrigation, due to the high crop water requirements, followed by agrochemical production and the associated on-field emissions. The results showed impacts of 3.05 kg CO₂ eq in global warming, 35.35 g SO₂ eq in terrestrial acidification or 70.3 m3 in water scarcity per kilogram of dry hop cones. Agricultural activities exert pressure on our natural ecosystems in different ways, for example, globally through the propagation of emissions or locally through the degradation of species-rich landscapes, with plants being the most affected taxon in this case. Moreover, two ecosystem services were assessed: pollination and soil erosion. Pollinator presence was found to be constant throughout spring and summer, with a ratio close to 50% of the regional maximum, while the effects of soil erosion control were estimated at €838 over the 20-year lifespan of the crop. With these results, the environmental performance of hop cultivation can be significantly improved, paving the way for more sustainable products within the brewing industry.