Comparison betwwn conventional organic rice production in Northern Italy

Italy is the most important European rice producer with about 230000 ha. In the last years, the area dedicated to organic rice production is rapidly growing. Differently than conventional rice where a quite standardised cultivation practice is carried out, in organic rice farming several different cultivation practices are performed, leading to a wide variability of productive performances. However, compared to conventional rice production, the organic system is usually characterized by lower yields and, above all, by considerable yield variations over the years. The aim of this study is to compare, using the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) approach, the environmental performances of rice production in Italy considering both conventional rice production than organic rice production.