Assessment of Environmental and Economic Dimensions of Paddy Production in Iran

Abstract

The sustainable production of the agricultural sector has raised concerns about improving economic profitability while mitigating environmental impacts. This study, therefore, aims to investigate how economic and environmental aspects of paddy production vary across different climatic regions. The study focuses on three primary paddy-producing regions in Iran—Mazandaran, Khuzestan, and Fars—as case study areas. A combined Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Life Cycle Costing (LCC) model is implemented to determine the environmental and economic indices of paddy production systems. Additionally, agricultural eco-efficiency is applied to estimate the sustainability of paddy production. The economic analysis indicates that Mazandaran province had the highest profitability, with a net income of $18,112.38 per hectare, while Khuzestan province reported the lowest net income at $12,160.72 per hectare. From the perspectives of energy and mineral resource use, Mazandaran and Khuzestan provinces exhibited the highest resource consumption, with values of 79,767 MJ and 37.79 kg, respectively. In terms of global warming potential (GWP), over a 20- and 100-year horizon, Fars province showed the highest environmental impacts, with emissions of 7,384.50 and 7,095.50 kg CO₂-equivalent, respectively. However, the highest GWP500 value, at 6,414.89 kg CO₂-equivalent, was observed in Mazandaran province. Finally, Mazandaran province achieved the highest eco-efficiency values among the regions studied. While paddy production in Mazandaran province demonstrated high environmental impacts in certain respects, the favorable climate conditions in this region led to higher yields, resulting in greater economic returns and ultimately the highest eco-efficiency.