CaneLCA—A LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT (LCA)-BASED ECO-EFFICIENCY CALCULATOR FOR AUSTRALIAN SUGARCANE GROWING

THE AUSTRALIAN SUGAR industry faces continuing expectations to demonstrate environmentally sustainable sugarcane growing. In response, BSES Limited and the University of Queensland, with funding from the Sugar Research and Development Corporation (SRDC), have developed CaneLCA, a tool that calculates the ecoefficiency of sugarcane production over its lifecycle. This tool will help cane growers make decisions about sustainable farming practices and validate environmental improvement efforts. CaneLCA is based on environmental life cycle assessment (LCA). Therefore, it considers a range of environmental aspects across the life cycle of cane production from ‘cradle to farm gate’. The outputs are ecoefficiency ratings, relative to industry ranges, for fossil energy use, carbon footprint, water use and water quality. It is designed to support extension activities by helping growers and their advisors understand sources of impacts over the cane-growing life cycle, and compare the eco-efficiency of different combinations of cane-growing practices. This can help inform decisions about practice change. The CaneLCA tool is described, including its features, how it works and the methodologies employed. An example of the outputs generated by CaneLCA is presented with discussion about its potential applications as a decision support tool in extension activities.