Carbon footprint analysis of the cultivated banana cultivation in Prachinburi Province, Thailand

¹ Department of Construction Design and Management, Faculty of Industrial Technology and Management, King Mongkut’s University of Technology North Bangkok (Prachinburi Campus), Prachinburi, Thailand
² Department of Industrial Management, Faculty of Industrial Technology and Management, King Mongkut’s University of Technology North Bangkok (Prachinburi Campus), Prachinburi, Thailand

^* Corresponding author: chalita.s@fitm.kmutnb.ac.th

Abstract

This study aimed to estimate the carbon footprint and analyze the environmental hotspots of the cultivated banana cultivation in a case study of Prachinburi Province in Thailand. In addition, the study proposed the mitigation of the carbon footprint. Primary data were obtained from eleven Prachinburi banana farmers. The banana farmers were interviewed using a questionnaire. Planting area, plant spacing, yield, land preparation, planting, fertilization, irrigation, and harvesting were among the data collected. The results revealed that the carbon footprint of cultivated banana cultivation was 117 g CO₂e/kg of fresh cultivated banana, with fertilization accounting for 83 percent of the total. To predominantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the usage of fertilizer should be reduced. Different parts of the plants, such as trimmed leaves, de-suckered shoots, and stems should be chopped into small pieces and spread over the soil where the bananas are planted to nourish the plants without supplemental fertilizer. However, the reduced usage of fertilizer for banana cultivation should be studied along with the productivity of the crop.