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Riceberry rice has a special characteristic of being specially bred with high nutrients. High-value added products from riceberry are being promoted targeting health-conscious consumers. To provide supporting information for sustainable food systems, environmental footprinting was applied for evaluating the environmental performance of a ready-to-eat product of riceberry rice mixed with kidney red bean called "Riceberry + KU", developed by Kasetsart University in Thailand. Based on sold unit as the unit of analysis, the carbon footprint of Riceberry + KU was 5.24 gCO2e per 300 g. Interestingly, white rice had the highest carbon footprint and riceberry rice as well as the riceberry product had at least 30% lower values. However, using nutrient-based scores, although white rice still had the highest carbon footprint, Riceberry + KU had 80% lower and the riceberry rice had 65% lower values. This resulted from the highest nutritional levels found in Riceberry + KU along with the lower greenhouse gas emissions from riceberry field during the cultivation stage. Similar trends were found in the other impact categories assessed by using life cycle assessment as well. To provide appropriate information to consumers for making more sustainable food choices, the environmental performance based on nutrient quality resulting from different farming systems and processing methods should be used to derive recommendations for moving toward sustainable food systems. The nutrition-environment nexus assessment could be very useful for supporting consumers toward making more sustainable food choices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Air pollution in Thailand is regarded as a serious health threat, especially in the northern region. High levels of particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10) are strongly linked to severe health consequences and mortality. This study analyzed the relationship between exposure to ambient concentrations of PM2.5 and PM10 by using data from the Pollution Control Department of Thailand and the burden of disease due to an increase in the ambient particulate matter concentrations in northern Thailand. This study was conducted using the Life Cycle Assessment methodology considering the human health damage impact category in the ReCiPe 2016 method. The results revealed that the annual average years of life lived with disability from ambient PM2.5 in northern Thailand is about 41,372 years, while from PM10 it is about 59,064 years per 100,000 population. The number of deaths from lung cancer and cardiopulmonary diseases caused by PM2.5 were approximately 0.04% and 0.06% of the population of northern Thailand, respectively. Deaths due to lung cancer and cardiopulmonary diseases caused by PM10, on the other hand, were approximately 0.06% and 0.08%, respectively. The findings expressed the actual severity of the impact of air pollution on human health. It can provide valuable insights for organizations in setting strategies to address air pollution. Organizations can build well-informed strategies and turn them into legal plans by exploiting the study's findings. This ensures that their efforts to tackle air pollution are successful, in accordance with regulations, and contribute to a healthier, more sustainable future guidelines on appropriate practices of air pollution act/policy linkage with climate change mitigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sustainability level of current rice farming practices in Thailand was assessed based on in-field data from interviewing 2000 farmers covering six rice varieties and their different production systems. Data were collected on farmers' characteristics and farming activities according to the 41 requirements of the Sustainable Rice Platform (SRP) standard. The SRP scores ranged from 53 to 81%, with the best performance by Khao Dawk Mali 105 cultivated in rainfed, organic production systems. The key success factors were linked to the formation of a farmer group resulting in very good performance on farm management, Integrated Pest Management, health and safety, and water use. The proposed 12 performance indicators (PIs) interconnected with the 41 requirements are considered appropriate to measure and monitor progress toward sustainable rice cultivation for policy makers. PIs for good governance, affordability of living costs, energy-use efficiency, and life satisfaction could potentially be added, considering the local context in relation to sustainable agriculture goals. The successful cases of SRP-certified rice farms and the benefits from SRP implementation should be conveyed to with other rice farmers to induce wider implementation. The SRP scores and PIs were useful to identify areas requiring priority interventions to make progress toward sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sugarcane leaves and trash burning during harvesting, and vinasse management, are major challenges of the Thai sugarcane industry. Identification of the appropriate valorization pathways for both the biomass waste streams using the sugarcane biorefinery concept is necessary. This study aims to assess the environmental sustainability of five CE models, including (1) sugarcane trash for electricity, (2) sugarcane trash to biochar, (3) sugarcane trash as a soil conditioner, (4) vinasse as a bio-fertilizer, and (5) vinasse for power generation. Life cycle assessment has been conducted using the ReCiPE midpoint impact assessment method. The results revealed that all waste utilization scenarios can help reduce the environmental impacts compared to the base case. The utilization of sugarcane leaves and trash for electricity generation brings about the lowest environmental impacts due to the environmental credits from the substitution of Thai grid electricity. The utilization of sugarcane leaves can reduce impacts on climate change, terrestrial acidification, and ozone formation by about 20–104%, 43–61%, and 12–54%. Recycling vinasse as bio-fertilizer and for biogas production for electricity generation can reduce climate change impact by about 28–29%. There is a significant improvement of the avoidance of pre-harvesting burning of sugarcane in the Thai sugar industry, which has led to the big potential of sugarcane leaves biomass utilization. Recommendations to enhance the efficiency of using sugarcane leaves and vinasse are discussed. The integrated waste circulation scenarios on cane leaves and vinasses in the sugar-electricity-ethanol biorefinery shows advancement in the bio-circular-green economy (BCG) aspects for enhancing the environmental sustainability of the Thai sugarcane industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Existing emission and toxicity characterization models in life cycle assessment are currently not suitable for assessing pesticide-related impacts of crop cultivation in tropical regions. This study aims to parameterize the scientific consensus model USEtox for Thai environments to derive toxicity characterization factors of pesticide emissions from agricultural systems in Thailand. Potential human toxicity and ecotoxicity impacts and related damage costs of pesticides used on nine crops cultivated in Thailand are quantified. Methods: Considering country-specific conditions, USEtox was adapted by applying the landscape and consumption parameters specific to Thailand. Related Thai-specific characterization factors of identified pesticides used in Thai agriculture were quantified. Four emission inventory models were applied to determine pesticide emission fractions in different environmental compartments. The consistent combination of pesticide emission mass and associated characterization factors yielded potential toxicity impact scores. Pesticide impact-related damage costs (external costs) on human health and ecosystem quality were quantified using valuation factors for Thailand. The crops with the highest total damage costs were selected and compared with the annual net incomes of the respective crop production systems. Results and discussion: Pesticide toxicity impacts assessed by using Thai-specific factors were different from the use of global average factors ranging from 1 to 169% (human toxicity) and from 0.1 to 3587% (ecotoxicity). Our results indicated the variability in impact scores influenced by emission modeling choices. Following PestLCI consensus emission estimation model, mango cultivation showed the highest human toxicity impacts of 0.07 DALY/ha, resulting in high human health damage costs mainly caused by Propineb (93%). Rice cultivation with a dry direct-seeded system exhibited the highest ecotoxicity impacts (3934 PDF m3 day/ha) and associated damage costs mainly caused by Oxadiazon (92%). Pesticides used in cultivation of nine crops resulted in total damage costs of 7188 and 3.01 million THB/crop-year for human health and ecotoxicity, respectively. Mango and rice production accounted for 70% and 17% of the total damage costs, which were 36% and 20% of the respective crops' annual net income. Conclusions: Our study illustrates the ranking of pesticides applied throughout the crop calendar causing toxicological impact and related damage costs on human health and ecosystem quality. This helps identify crops and the main contributors to pesticide-related toxicity impacts in Thailand. Our study highlights the need for proper emission quantification and for the use of characterization factors locally parameterized to increase accuracy. Our results will be useful for future improvement toward more sustainable pesticide use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Promotion of sustainable maize production in Northern Thailand, the country's largest maize-producing region, is crucial to securing the supply of the nation's feed manufacturing, as well as protecting environmental resources, enhancing social welfare, and improving the livelihoods of farmers and communities. This study aimed to investigate the various sustainable practices of the smallholder highland maize farmers and determine their environmental perceptions of sustainable practices. Face-to-face interviews with local maize farmers in two northern villages of Thailand showed that the farmers performed more sustainable cultivation practices i.e., avoiding the use of prohibited chemicals, but less post-management practices, i.e., managing residues and disposing of agrochemical waste. In addition, the Chi-square test was employed to determine the correlation between various socio-demographic factors and the farming practices. The surveyed farmers perceived the positive environmental impacts of organic fertilizer application and alternative management methods of residues to slash-and-burn, but they did not perceive the same positive impacts for proper agrochemical waste management on the environment. The results of the constraints to the environmental practices identified by the farmers suggested that additional tangible support from the government, such as agrochemical waste disposal facilities and engagement of policymakers and development practitioners, would result in more local-specific interventions that would promote a sustainable highland agriculture system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite green sugarcane harvesting being promoted in Thailand, with some limitations on the use of harvesting machines, green sugarcane harvesting is practiced manually in many sugarcane fields. Although the environmental benefit seems clear, this harvesting practice's social implications are yet unknown. This study assessed social performances of green and burnt manual sugarcane harvesting in North-Eastern Thailand, the region hosting the largest sugarcane plantation area, using the Social Life Cycle Assessment technique. Data collection was undertaken by surveys. The performance reference points method was applied to assess the different stakeholder's social performances. Key stakeholder groups examined were workers, local community, and farm owners. The main social issues included in this study are fair wages, working conditions, health and safety, local employment, economic development, social responsibility, and satisfaction of occupation. The results showed that the social performances of green and burnt sugarcane harvesting were generally similar except for the local community group. This is mainly due to the health impact of sugarcane burning on the local community. Different issues cause the farmers to harvest the burnt sugarcane; for example, labor shortage in the harvesting season and the difficult working conditions for green harvesting, causing the farm owners to bear higher costs. For these reasons, mechanized harvesting is suggested to help promote green harvesting to reduce local air pollution. However, technology development is in urgent need to make the harvesting machines more affordable and applicable to all geographical conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Life cycle assessment was applied to a riceberry rice product to support decisions on the development of an innovative, healthy, and low-carbon product to move toward a low-carbon society. The cultivation and processing stages were identified as the key activities generating substantial greenhouse gas emissions. To reduce the life cycle greenhouse gas emissions, several strategies were proposed at the cultivation stage: (1) converting from nonorganic to organic rice farming systems, (2) using a seeding machine instead of manual seeding, and (3) employing a drone for spraying pesticides/herbicides to replace ground-based. Other reduction strategies were: (4) using a low-fat and low-sodium formula seasoning, (5) re-designing the packaging, (6) changing the material of the corrugated box, and (7) recycling the corrugated boxes. The results showed that the carbon footprint values could be reduced from 260 to 233 g CO2e per pack of 50 g net weight. These strategies could also reduce the impacts on water scarcity by 84%, freshwater eutrophication by 57%, cancer human health effects by at least 30%, and land use by 3%. The results confirmed that the life cycle design minimizing the carbon footprint value did not shift the impact from global warming to other environmental concerns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a result, in the Introduction, "In 2017, the maize harvested area in Thailand was 41 million hectares, which increased from year 2016 by 1.26%." now reads: "In 2017, the maize production in Thailand was 41 million tonnes, which increased from year 2016 by 1.26%." In addition, in the Methodology section, under the subheading "Focus area", "Mae Chaem district is one of the most cultivated areas in northern region of Chiang Mai province with a cultivation area under maize of approximately 480,756 ha in 2015 while Chiang Dao district was about 207,213 ha SP 2 sp ." now reads: "Mae Chaem district is one of the most cultivated areas in northern region of Chiang Mai province with a cultivation area under maize of approximately 12,307 ha in 2015 while Chiang Dao district was about 5305 ha SP 2 sp .". [Extracted from the article]

Purpose: Rice is a major economic crop which has created local livelihood, careers and incomes in the agricultural sector in Thailand, one of the leading rice producers at global scale. Rice is a key commodity in the agriculture sector requiring the highest portion of water demand, around 40% out of the total sector demand of 65%. This study was aimed to develop the water footprint database of rice farming at the national level to support the information for area-based water management and water footprint label based on the methodology described in ISO14046. Methods: The water footprint inventory data associated with the 8 main cultivated rice species were gathered in accordance with the ISO 14046 Water Footprint. The statistical data of rice cultivation area and production in 2016 were used as the basis for sampling to cover 62% of the national annual production with a 90% confidence interval. Eight rice species were sampled by simple random sampling method, covering 62% of the national annual production with a 90% confidence interval. The total number of samples was 817, covering 114 samples of Khao Dok Mali 105, 103 samples of Pathumthani 1, 103 samples of Phitsanulok 2, 112 samples of RD41, 112 samples of Chainat 1, 103 samples of RD6, 70 samples of San Pah Tawng 1 and 100 samples of riceberry. Results and discussion: The study found that the rice cultivation in Thailand had an average water footprint inventory of 1665 m3/t and a water scarcity footprint of 334 m3H2Oe/t paddy rice. One hectare of rice cultivation normally required water around 6340 m3/ha on the average. The results showed that Khao Dok Mali 105 has the highest water scarcity (598 m3H2Oe/t paddy rice) as the Northeastern area where it is cultivated, has the highest water stress index. This was followed by RD6, Riceberry, Phitsanulok 2, Pathumthani 1, San Pah Tawng 1 and RD41. Chainat 1 species has the lowest water scarcity footprint (220 m3H2Oe/t paddy rice). Conclusions: The replacement of rice with sugarcane/cassava could potentially reduce the water scarcity footprint by more than half. The shifting of cultivation period when the average rainfall was higher could slightly decrease the amount of total water requirements, whereas the implementation of alternate wet and dry farming system instead of continual flooding system would moderately reduce the amount of total water requirements. It is expected to use the water footprint national database for more effective water resource management for rice cultivation and to support the decisions on national water policy and the implementation of water scarcity footprint label. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Circular economy (CE) is becoming a vital strategy to tackle two major environmental challenges of building and construction sector, viz., intensive resource consumption and massive construction and demolition waste (CDW) generation. The study assessed six circular economy scenarios for CDW management of concrete and timber houses in Thailand compared to the base case (landfill). Life cycle assessment and life cycle costing were conducted to illustrate the influence of CE strategies on environmental sustainability and cost performance. Material Circularity Indicator (MCI) was evaluated to determine the circularity performances of material use for the CE scenarios. The 100% recycling scenario resulted in 124% and 166–169% reductions of the mineral resource scarcity impact as compared to the conventional CDW management for the concrete and timber houses, respectively. For the concrete house, 100% recycling scenario resulted in the lowest life cycle costs (when combining both internal cost and externalities). On the other hand, the 100% recycling scenario of timber house would bring about the highest cost due to the energy cost. However, for the timber house, energy recovery scenario provided the lowest impact values on global warming, ozone formation, and terrestrial acidification. The internal costs of implementing the CE measures are higher for timber than for concrete. The MCI value for 100% recycling scenario was about 0.55; however, it can be increased to 0.73 (timber house) and 0.75 (concrete house) if the utility lifetime of building materials were extended. The results show the integrating the CE for CDW management can bring benefit to both environmental sustainability and cost performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The implementation of midpoint, endpoint, and single score assessments to support decision-making remains a major challenge for developing a coherent social impact assessment methodology. The simple weighted sum approach and normalization technique for single score assessments have been problematic and the final results do not realistically represent stakeholder perspectives due to mis/over-interpretations. The focus of this study is to develop a weighting scheme for social impact assessment. The developed scheme is then evaluated using a case study on social impact assessment of the sugarcane sector in Thailand. Methods: A weighted aggregation method has been developed for assessing different categories and sub-categories of social dimensions. The performance indicators for each sub-category determine the accuracy of the impact results by establishing the rating weight of the importance of social aspects and satisfaction. The developed method is then applied to a case study on sugarcane-based ethanol production in Thailand. The stakeholders involved in the sugarcane sector comprising sugarcane, sugar, and ethanol production include cane growers, cane workers, sugar factory, and ethanol factory workers. The social issues related to stakeholders in sugarcane, sugar, and ethanol production must fit the cause-effect chain, which can help not only in defining the specific social aspects to meet the appropriate sub-categories and performance indicators but also in facilitating the data collection. Results and discussion: The characterized/inventory result can be improved by using the weighting factor of importance of social aspects and satisfaction. The results of the social impact performance score reveal that including the weighting of the importance of social aspects and satisfaction affects the result of the impact sub-categories and social categories. The case study revealed that the relevant impact categories of cane growers are (1) land tenure; (2) access to knowledge, facility, and natural resources; (3) employment, wages, and labor conditions; (4) equity; and (5) human health and safety. On the other hand, the impact categories of cane workers, sugar factory workers, and ethanol factory workers are (1) decent livelihood, (2) labor rights, (3) equity, and (4) human health and safety. Conclusions: The social impact assessment method with developed weighting scheme can help the government and private sectors prioritize their efforts in minimizing negative social impacts throughout the life cycle of biofuel systems. However, the data on the importance of social aspects and satisfaction is subjective; uncertainty analysis or sensitivity analysis must therefore be applied to further observe the variation of different options to facilitate decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to identify the environmental, socioeconomic, and social hot spots and to find ways to enhance the sustainability of selected food, fuel, and fiber products from sugarcane, i.e., sugarcane, sugar, electricity from bagasse, and molasses-based ethanol. Life cycle assessment (LCA) and social life cycle assessment (S-LCA) were used to examine the environmental, socioeconomic, and social performances of the various sugarcane-based products. All data from the field were collected during the production year 2014/2015. The environmental data were analyzed using the ReCiPe life cycle impact assessment method. Social data were analyzed using performance reference points method, using social indicators from relevant standards/guidelines. Interesting results from the study are that some problems such as cane trash burning and overuse of chemical fertilizers and agrochemicals are the main causes not only of negative environmental performance, but also of negative socioeconomic and social performances. Moreover, recommendations to help increase the sustainability of the Thai sugar industry for each stakeholder group have been provided. These include, for example, using demonstration farms in the same areas, zoning of agricultural crops, implementing large area-based agriculture policy, and making local regulation to prohibit cane trash burning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Thai Eco Factors developed based on the political distance-to-target approach. • 17 impacts cover various pollutants in air, water, soil, waste and natural resources. • The current environmental loads in Thailand are 38% higher than the policy targets. Abstract Many life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) methods established by developed countries are used for studies in Thailand. The results from the studies might not reflect the precise context and interests of Thailand, particularly linked with policy implementation. This study proposes the Thai Ecological Scarcity method based on the political distance-to-target approach, covering relevant environmental impacts and following the Swiss eco-factors 2013. The Thai Eco Factors (TEFs) were developed as the quantitative indicators for the considered pollutants or resources using the normalization and current flows of 2011 obtained mainly from official data sources, as base year data. The critical flows were extracted from relevant existing policy targets of Thailand. Policy preference and damage potential oriented characterization were applied in the calculation of the TEFs. The environmental impacts were classified into 17 categories covering all policy-concerned aspects. In addition, the national environmental burdens of Thailand based on the current status were assessed comparing the target status. It was also seen that environmental impact reduction of 38% could be achieved if all the existing environmental policy targets in Thailand were successfully implemented. This LCIA method is initiated from the current legislation objectives of Thailand. It is anticipated that in the future, updated policy targets and more accurate flow data would be available to improve these developed Thai Eco Factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Renewable energy technology is being adopted into energy plans worldwide to reduce the mounting CO 2 emissions of traditional energy sources. Currently in Thailand, there are approximately 15 million solar panels (2600 MW) which will need to be disposed of in the coming years. The average lifespan of a crystalline silicon panel is between 20 and 30 years, and responsible treatment of these end-of-life panels is necessary to minimize environmental burdens. Thailand's current plan is to landfill these panels. This study hopes to shed light on the environmental and economic paybacks that could materialize from recycling solar panels. It has been hypothesized that recycling solar panels could result in less environmental burdens than landfilling, but at an added monetary cost. Using LCA methodology and the EcoInvent database, this paper compares the environmental impacts of landfilling end-of-life crystalline silicon panels with those of two different recycling methods. By recycling silicon-based solar panels, valuable metals within the panels can be recovered instead of lost to the landfill. Recycling PV panels is less environmentally burdensome than landfilling when credits are applied to the recycling methods for the avoided production of materials that are recovered from the panels. Using the discounted cash flow method, this paper also compares the three waste management plans financially, as costs will inevitably influence how PV waste is managed in Thailand in the years to come. Neither of the recycling facilities were found to be economically profitable, however the cost to recycle could be as little as $0.03 per kg. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research aims to study the Carbon (C) flow, stock and management in rice production system, including rice cultivation, rice processing and management of rice by-products. The study boundaries are the rice production systems of four districts in Phayao province and the assessment technique is Material Flow Analysis (MFA). The results show that there was a positive C stock each year from large input of biomass residue. However, C loss from soil respiration still was very high because of the long fallow period. Straw was plowed back to the soil and tilled just a few days before flooding time causing high methane emissions at the beginning of cultivation. The recommendations for technology and management practices include harvesting straw for composting and returning the compost to soil, plowing the rest of the straw back to soil more than 30 days before the flooding period, accepting crop rotation practice instead of leaving the land fallow and finally, setting up a gasification or pyrolysis plant using straw to produce energy and by-product of bio-char for farmer to return it back to the soil. Applying feed-in-tariff or incentives like C-credit for reducing methane and C-credit for increasing C stock in the soil are also recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The original article can be found online at https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-39930-9.Correction to: Scientific Reportshttps://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-39930-9, published online 07 August 2023In the original version of this Article, Titaporn Supasri was omitted as a corresponding author. Correspondence and requests for materials should also be addressed to titaporn@narit.or.thThe original Article has been corrected.By Titaporn Supasri; Shabbir H. Gheewala; Ronald Macatangay; Anurak Chakpor and Surat SedphoReported by Author; Author; Author; Author; Author [Extracted from the article]

System stochasticity is an inherent characteristic of agricultural systems. Many studies have been conducted in Thailand to analyze the rice production systems. However, most of the prior work just focused on deterministic approach to investigate the rice production systems while disregarding the system variability. In this study, the conventional and organic rice farming systems in Thailand were compared considering the uncertainties associated with parameters. The system variability was taken into account by employing a stochastic modeling approach. The considered impact categories include global warming, ozone formation (human health), freshwater ecotoxicity, terrestrial acidification, fine particulate matter formation, freshwater eutrophication, and fossil resource scarcity. The results showed that yield had considerable influence on the environmental profiles of the two systems; organic and conventional farming showed similar results in terms of global warming on a per hectare basis, but the considerable difference was observed on a per tonne basis. The field emissions due to farm inputs were the most significant contributor to most of the impact categories. The fuel used for irrigation, land preparation, and harvesting also contributed significantly to several impact categories. On the other hand, the impacts of inputs production and material transportation were modest. Uncertainty analysis outcomes indicated that there was a noticeable deviation from the deterministic results in terms of global warming and freshwater ecotoxicity. However, when considering the associated uncertainties, no significant difference was observed between the environmental profiles of the two systems. [Display omitted] • Per hectare, organic rice is better than conventional using deterministic outcomes. • Per tonne, conventional rice is better than organic using deterministic outcomes. • Stochastic modeling, however, showed no significant difference in the two systems. • Ignoring system variability in agricultural systems may result in misleading outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agriculture is a key economic sector for developing countries confronting challenges on the overexploitation of land and water resources for food and biofuels crop production. Sugarcane is recognized as a promising crop serving both food and bioenergy needs that are being promoted leading to expansion of the plantation areas. The study assesses the land-water-energy nexus of irrigated and non-irrigated sugarcane production systems in the Chao Phraya and Chi watersheds of Thailand using carbon footprint, ecological footprint, and water scarcity footprint. The results indicate that freshwater resource is essential to sugarcane productivity improvement. Irrigation helps increase the sugarcane yields around 23–54% as compared to the non-irrigated system; the carbon and ecological footprint of sugarcane products are also consequently decreased by around 11–36% and 15–35%, respectively. Nevertheless, the water scarcity potential would be increased. Hence, the efficient irrigation technology like drip irrigation is an important factor to drive sustainable sugarcane production in the future. Land-water-energy nexus management measures for improving sustainability of sugarcane production are also recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses the challenges in applying Social Life Cycle Assessment (S-LCA) in the Thai sugar industry sector. A case study of an S-LCA of sugar in Nakhon Ratchasima province was undertaken following the UNEP/SETAC guidelines for S-LCA of products. Qualitative evaluation was made to assess an extent to which S-LCA is applicable for the Thai sugar industry sector. Based on the results from this study, the main challenges in applying S-LCA in the Thai sugar industry sector are diversity of scope of study and reference flow choices, difficulty in data collection and data quality, limited choices of social subcategories and indicators to assess social impact at product level for some stakeholder groups and absence of established interpretation approach. Though findings are derived for the sugar industry, many of them could also be applied to other systems. The main social issues that need urgent attention are problems such as cane trash burning that affects local health and safety, low wages, land and water rights. Appropriate ways to conduct S-LCA for Thai sugar industry have been suggested. In addition, it was suggested that the S-LCA of Thai sugar industry should be conducted at provincial level scope. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water quality in the Tha Chin River regularly exceeds biological oxygen demand (BOD) standards of Thailand's Enhancement and Conservation of National Environmental Quality Act. This study quantified the BOD loading from rice cultivation and swine farming to the Tha Chin River using effluent data and procedures from the Pollution Control Department (PCD), geospatial land-use maps from the Land Development Department, and water quality data from the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment. It was determined that the BOD loading was 12 tons/day from swine farming in 2015 and 52 tons/day, on average, from rice farming between 2002 and 2011. Technology-specific, community-scale wastewater management strategies were recommended for both industries: feasibility studies revealed 66 potential sites for constructed wetland implementation and 7 subdistricts suitable for biogas network pipelines. It was determined that if these projects are implemented in conjunction, the BOD would be reduced by 6% (0.3 mg/L) in the entire river or 11% (0.5 mg/L) at the three water quality monitoring stations proximate to swine farms. These reductions would have a substantial effect on the water quality of the Tha Chin River, and governmental agencies such as the PCD should strongly consider subsidization and implementation of these projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increased demand in Thailand for palm oil for food, cosmetics and especially biodiesel has resulted in the rapid expansion of oil palm cultivation nationwide. This has raised concerns on the environmental sustainability of oil palm cultivation especially in the regions where land and climate are less suitable for oil palm. The study assesses the life-cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, water use and water scarcity footprint of oil palm cultivation in the different regions of Thailand. There is a wide variation of GHG emissions and irrigation water required ranging between 64 and 225 kg CO 2 eq/t FFB and 550–1749 m 3 /t FFB, respectively. Oil palm cultivation in the South brings about the lowest water scarcity footprint i.e. around 2–13 m 3 H 2 Oeq/t FFB followed by the East, North, Central and Northeast, respectively. Promotion of oil palm cultivation must thus be based on land and climate suitability considerations along with good practices for productivity improvement. Recommendations have been discussed for enhancing sustainable oil palm cultivation which in turn will improve the competitiveness of the Thai palm oil industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To move towards sustainability, finding sustainable ways of using rice husk ash for a large rice producing country like Thailand is essential. This review seeks to find sustainability characteristics of the uses of rice husk ash from power plants. It also reviews how rice husk ash is produced from different power generation technologies. Characteristics of rice husk ash are affected by different factors such as sources, preparation methods and combustion technologies. Different forms of rice husk ash, amorphous and crystalline, suit different applications. Ash from moving grate technology is suggested for use as adsorbent while that from fluidized bed is suggested for use as filler in polymeric composites and in the synthesis of innovative ceramic compounds. The ash from suspension fired technology is suggested for use in the construction industry and zeolite production. In addition to technical viability, using rice husk ash to substitute conventional products helps gain both environmental and economic benefits. Despite claiming sustainable applications of rice husk ash, many research papers report only technical performances of the products. This paper draws out sustainability characteristics of different rice husk ash applications using the “triple bottom line” framework. Potential reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, cost saving and employment generation of rice husk ash use options have been investigated. Results from the review suggest that using the ash to replace charcoal is the most sustainable option when comparing with other alternatives such as Portland cement, commercial silica and lime. This option could help to reduce GHG up to 1005 kg CO 2eq /t product, to save cost up to 8000 THB/t product, as well as to help generate employment for about 5 person-years/M THB spent in the sector. However, to make the sustainability assessment more comprehensive, other sustainability indicators such as fossil fuel depletion, human toxicity, ecotoxicity, particulate matter formation, total net profit (TNP), total value added (TVA), and incomes of workers are also needed to be considered in future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental water requirement is important for a river or a watershed to maintain the ecosystem functions and services. Thus, it needs to be an essential component in water demand calculations for maintaining water resources. This study proposes to explicitly account the environmental water as a part of water withdrawal in the withdrawal to availability ratio of the water stress index. A revised equation is formulated and calibrated using Thailand as an example. This incorporation allows flexibility in changing different amounts and setting different priorities of environmental water requirement based on a local context. The results obtained are satisfactory for explaining the actual stress situation incorporating environmental water requirement. The method and approach proposed in this paper can also be applied to other countries based on their priorities for water allocation to various water demand sectors. This paper is proposed as a step towards developing a sustainable tool for assessing the impact on freshwater resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thailand has recently implemented the Alternative Energy Development Plan (2015–2036) aiming to reduce the dependency on conventional fuels, notably diesel from oil palm. To ensure sustainability of substituting diesel, this study aims to assess the environmental effects of three promising biofuels namely, conventional biodiesel or Fatty acid methyl ester (FAME), Bio-hydrogenated diesel (BHD) and the newest alternative fuel, Partially Hydrogenated Fatty Acid Methyl Ester (H-FAME) compared to diesel in transport sector. The system boundary is “Well-to-Wheels. This study does not show a significant difference in the energy performances and environmental effects of the studied biofuels. The partial substitution of diesel by FAME, H-FAME and BHD can decrease fossil use and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions significantly. In terms of global warming potential GWP, more than 100 million tonnes CO 2 eq would be reduced in the next 20 years according to the projection of 25% replaced conventional diesel consumption. To improve the performance in terms of resource use and GHG mitigation, the study results suggest encouraging the use of H-FAME and BHD as a good choice. Both these alternative fuels can be blended with conventional diesel more than 2 times compared with FAME. In the initial stage, substitution could start with implementing H-FAME and slightly reduce the use of FAME after which BHD could be implemented along with FAMEand H-FAME. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Expansion of sugarcane production for satisfying food and bioenergy demands along with decreasing availability of agricultural workers brings about the concerns on changing the traditional sugarcane cultivation and harvesting practice to mechanization. The study aims to assess the effect on climate change impact via life cycle greenhouse gas emissions along with harvesting costs from 5 current sugarcane harvesting practices in the central region of Thailand. The results show that harvested green cane using cutting machines has moderate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions as compared to the other options but it has the highest harvesting cost due to the need for hiring cutting machines which can be quite expensive. Moreover, the insufficient availability of cutting machines in some areas has created a problem of system management. This has led farmers to choose the burning of cane as per the past practice due to the ease of finding labor. Therefore, it could be recommended that the actual cost of mechanized harvesting and good management of cutting machine services should be considered if we need to increase mechanical harvesting. There is no significant difference in the greenhouse gas emissions of various harvesting practices as the largest greenhouse gas emissions are actually from the land preparation stage. Even though the harvesting stage does not contribute much to the greenhouse gas emissions, there is still an opportunity for improvement of both GHG and cost performance for which measures are recommended. In addition, there is a need for further study on its contribution to other impacts such as microbiological properties of the soil and local air pollution from sugarcane trash burning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thailand has been promoting biofuel production and consumption to substitute transport fuels in order to utilize domestic resources and contribute to greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation. This study adopted a Life Cycle Impact Assessment (LCIA) method using “distance-to-target” approach based on the Swiss Eco Scarcity method. It is developed by using Thailand's current situation of pollutants emissions and natural resources use in line with the three related national policy goals i.e. GHG, primary energy and freshwater resources; the Eco-Factors are 1.6, 0.13 and 1.9 Thai Eco Point (TEP) per kgCO 2 e, MJ NRE-eq and m 3 in respective units. These were used for an LCA comparison between cassava-based ethanol and palm oil-biodiesel with their fossil fuel counterparts on an energy basis. The LCA results indicate both biofuels have lower impacts than the equivalent fossil fuels and the main contributor is GHG emissions from biofuel production. The sensitivity analysis also indicated the given policy related to freshwater and GHG influence the biofuel benefits. Therefore, the strong policy and technical options in energy production are still required for sustainable biofuels following the government intention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rubber and crude palm oil (CPO) are the major agricultural products of Thailand. This work aimed at evaluating the ecological footprint (EF) of ribbed smoked sheet (RSS) from cooperative rubber sheet factories, ribbed smoked sheet bale (RSSB) from large rubber sheet factories, Standard Thai Rubber (STR) from block rubber factories, concentrated latex from concentrated latex factories, and CPO of palm oil mills in Thailand. The system boundary of cradle to gate was set according to the life cycle assessment approach. The fresh latex and cup lump from rubber plantations and fresh fruit bunch from the oil palm plantations were the major inputs for the rubber factory and the palm oil mill, respectively. EFs of the selected products from high to low were STR 20 at 7.06 global hectares (gha)/tonne, RSSB at 6.87 gha/tonne, RSS at 6.78 gha/tonne, STR 5 at 6.68 gha/tonne, concentrated latex at 5.07 gha/tonne, and CPO at 4.34 gha/tonne, on average. The EF of forest for production of fresh latex, cup lump and unsmoked sheet, and fresh fruit bunch accounted for more than 92% of the total EF. The EF for processing was quite less for the products of both rubber factories and palm oil mills. The production of RSS had a high potential for reducing the EF, followed by that of concentrated latex and STR, respectively. In 2015, the total EF for the production of rubber products and CPO in Thailand was 35.2 and 30.5 million gha for the average and best observed scenarios, respectively. The alternative methods for reduction of EF should be emphasized. The policy makers should include the EF values as the indicator for supporting the expansion of rubber and oil palm industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research is aimed at determining the ecological footprints (EFs) of fresh fruit bunches (FFB) from oil palm and fresh latex, and hevea wood and branches from rubber plantations in Thailand using a life cycle approach. Ratios between economic benefit to EF of oil palm and rubber plantations were considered as indicators for zoning oil palm and rubber plantations as economic crops of Thailand. Average values of EF of oil palm and rubber plantations of 17.5 and 15.6 global hectare (gha)/hectare (ha)-year were determined, respectively. Average values of EF of FFB, fresh latex, hevea wood, and hevea branches were 0.806, 2.22, 0.25, and 0.039 gha/tonne, respectively. Rain and irrigation water was responsible for more than 90% of total EF. From 2009 to 2014, average values of ratio between benefit to EF for oil palm and rubber plantation were 60.4 and 124 USD/gha respectively. In 2014, the ratio between benefit to EF was 60.9 USD/gha for oil palm plantation. The selling price of natural rubber reached the minimum. Without government subsidies, there was no benefit from the rubber plantation. The average value of ratio between benefit to EF of rubber plantation was −5.85 USD/gha. Policy makers should be seriously concerned about this situation and try to mitigate it. With government subsidies, the ratio between benefit to EF was increased to 6.75 USD/gha. Policymakers should include EF and benefit to EF ratio for zoning suitable oil palm and rubber plantations to enhance sustainable production. New varieties of oil palm and rubber trees with high yields and the policy for supporting the establishment of rubber industry for producing the valuable products should be promoted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Battery electric motorcycles offer the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and fossil fuel consumption in road transportation, but result in problem shifting when considering potential environmental impacts during vehicle production and disposal. This study evaluates the life cycle environmental impacts of implementing lithium-ion and lead-acid battery electric motorcycles in Thailand's motorcycle fleet to meet the government's motorcycle energy reduction target of 2,791 kilotonnes oil equivalent, compared to conventional motorcycles. A stock-turnover model is used to determine the market growth of electric motorcycles on the fleet from 2015 to 2030 to meet the energy reduction target. The total costs of ownership of each motorcycle are analyzed on a single vehicle basis to compare the cost benefits. The results of the study reveal that the environmental performance of an electric motorcycle fleet is sensitive to variations in use-phase energy consumption, the electricity mix consumed, and battery disposal scenarios. Realization of Thailand's Power Development Plan can reduce total impacts of the electric motorcycle fleet to global warming by 6% to 10%. It is crucial that batteries from electric motorcycles are recycled to avoid 98% of impacts to toxicity. Lead-acid battery electric motorcycles are a more affordable option for consumers in Thailand compared to conventional motorcycles and lithium-ion battery electric motorcycles. Recommendations are made to improve the environmental performance of electric motorcycle implementation strategies in Thailand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

B Correction to: The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment b https://doi.org/10.1007/s11367-022-02094-1 An outdated version of the supplementary files 1 and 2 was originally published with this article and has now been replaced. The original article can be found online at https://doi.org/10.1007/s11367-022-02094-1. [Extracted from the article]

Net Energy Ratio and Life cycle greenhouse gases (GHG) assessment of five agricultural residues to produce dimethyl ether (DME) including rice straw, palm empty fruit bunches, cassava rhizome, sugar cane tops and leaves, maize stem with DME derived from lignite coal and natural gas by simulation of two-stage DME production. Sugar cane tops and leaves indicated highest NER at 4.83 and lowest GHG emission at 0.89 kg CO 2 e/kg DME due to their properties and low GHG burden in acquisition phase. Compared to fossil-DME and diesel, it was found that the bio-DMEs derived from rice straw, sugar cane tops and leaves and maize stem have potential for substitution with much lower life cycle GHG emissions as well as high NER. On the other hand, cassava rhizome and palm empty fruit bunches show low possibility of utilizing as DME feedstock due to high moisture content as well as low heating value. Reducing their moisture content by using flue gas and solar drying are improvement measures to make them promising as bio-DME feedstock. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to assess indirect land use change (iLUC) and greenhouse gas (GHG) consequences of Thailand's bioethanol policy by using consequential life cycle assessment (CLCA) and a systematic iLUC model based on global land market. The results indicated the risk that life cycle GHG emissions of cassava- and molasses-based bioethanol systems may outweigh those from their fossil fuel counterparts both with and without the iLUC effects. The iLUC emissions from bioethanol were around 39%–76% (±8–15%) of the gasoline GHG emission baseline. Inclusion of relevant suppliers for the use of fully utilised by-products which are renewable energy sources (i.e. molasses and bagasse) highly affected the GHG consequences. Various controlled conditions such as non-fully utilised molasses and bagasse potentially lead to significant GHG reductions. The additional molasses and bagasse production dedicated specifically for bioethanol production potentially contribute to substantial GHG reductions. Further studies are required to determine other environmental impacts from bioethanol and to consider other iLUC modelling choices and emerging research development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study aims to evaluate the sugarcane biorefinery and molasses ethanol production in Thailand using the combined environmental and economic sustainability indicator, so called “Eco-efficiency”. Four sugarcane biorefinery scenarios in Thailand are evaluated. The total output values (US$) and the life cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (kg CO 2 eq) are selected as the indicators for characterizing economic and environmental performance, respectively. The results show that the biorefinery system of mechanized farming along with cane trash utilization for power generation yields the highest eco-efficiency. The benefits come from the increased value added of the biorefinery together with the decreased GHG emissions of the biorefinery system. As compared to the base case scenario, the new systems proposed result in the eco-efficiency improvement by around 20–70%. The biorefinery concept induces reduction of GHG emissions attributed to molasses ethanol. Green cane production and harvesting results in further lowering of the GHG emissions. Integration of sugarcane biomass utilization across the entire sugarcane complex would enhance the sustainability of the sugarcane production system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electric power production using biomass residues from agricultural production using high efficiency electricity generation technologies would reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and contribute to climate change mitigation. This study investigated the case of the sugar industry in Thailand and identified scenarios offering GHG emissions reduction benefits. Electricity generation potential from using sugarcane residues and/or upgrading power generation systems represent beneficial options. The largest potential of electricity export to the national grid can be achieved by upgrading boiler systems of all sugar mills to 103 bar and 515 °C. Using 19% of the generated sugarcane tops and leaves along with bagasse can generate 9 TWh electricity and would reduce GHG emissions by 4.8 Mt CO 2 equivalent a year. The economic analysis shows that using high steam pressure boiler configurations for power generation results in substantial reduction in production cost and increase in benefit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Thai government's renewable energy plan to help increase energy independence and reduce emissions includes a component from wind. Due to Thailand's wind regime, small wind turbines that can operate in low wind speeds are needed to meet this goal. This study assesses the environmental implications and economic feasibility of small wind turbines. Using a functional unit of producing 50kWh per month for 20years, a Life Cycle Assessment was conducted comparing the global warming potential (GWP100), embodied energy, energy payback period (EPP) and levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) of four small wind turbines (≤20kW), a diesel generator, and the Thai grid. The turbines had a lower overall GWP100 compared to the diesel generator and Thai grid in areas with reasonable wind resources; the same was true for embodied energy when compared to the diesel generator. Interestingly, in most available wind speed categories in Thailand the LCOE for wind turbines was lower than for the diesel generator. However, neither could compare to the selling price of the Thai grid, except in the areas with the highest average wind speeds (7.0-9.4m/s). Because of the increased cost relative to the Thai grid, implementation of wind turbines in Thailand was not found to be economically feasible without government incentive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Biofuels derived from microalgae are currently gaining attention as alternative fuels, especially for substituting biodiesel. Microalgae can be grown either in open pond systems or in closed photobioreactors. However, the systems require a high initial capital investment for construction of pond and photobioreactor systems. This study aims to evaluate the financial feasibility of two types of large scale microalgae-based biodiesel production assumed to be located in the northern region of Thailand. Four algae-to-biofuels process scenarios were examined: base cases of raceway ponds and photobioreactors including only biodiesel production; and alternative cases for both, including extraction of high value added products, omega-3 fatty acids, in addition to biodiesel. The basis of biodiesel production was 720,000L per year operated for 15years. For the base case, the biodiesel production costs for algae produced from raceway ponds and photobioreactors were 68 and 224Thai Baht/L, respectively, while for the alternative case, they were 191 and 450Thai Baht/L, respectively. Even though the omega-3 fatty acid production gained higher revenue, the capital cost and operating cost would need to be reduced at least 50% to make the systems profitable. Several improvement options and possible government incentives to achieve this are presented. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The study assesses the implications of the bioethanol policy mandate in Thailand of producing 9 M litre ethanol per day by 2021 on water use and water deprivation. The results reveal that water footprint (WF) of bioethanol varies between 1396 and 3105 L water/L ethanol. Cassava ethanol has the highest WF followed by molasses and sugarcane ethanol, respectively. However, in terms of fresh water (especially irrigation water) consumption, molasses ethanol is highest with 699–1220 L/L ethanol. To satisfy the government plan of bioethanol production in 2021, around 1625 million m 3 of irrigation water/year will be additionally required, accounting for about 3% of the current active water storage of Thailand. Two important watersheds in the northeastern region of Thailand are found to be potentially facing serious water stress if water resources are not properly managed. Measures to reduce water footprint of bioethanol are recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Life cycle GHG emissions of rice straw bio-DME production in Thailand are assessed. [•] Bio-DME replaces diesel in engines and supplements LPG for household application. [•] Rice straw bio-DME in both cases of substitution helps reduce GHG emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Solar Photovoltaic (PV) technologies are gaining influence as a potential supplemental electricity source in Thailand. This study assesses the environmental and economic benefits of two types of photovoltaic technologies — single-crystalline and amorphous silicon thin-film systems. The advantages of building-integrated PV are also analyzed. The assessment considers embodied energy, CO2 payback, and economic investment. Solar PV currently provides less than 1% of Thailand's electricity; however the government aims to generate 25% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2021. Different policy scenarios affecting life cycle performance, including manufacturing processes and geographic differences are explored. The results indicate that solar electricity can serve as a promising, untapped renewable energy source for Thailand to pursue in its efforts to wean away from imported natural gas and other fossil fuel energy sources. Amorphous silicon thin-film panels yield a greater net environmental benefit than single-crystalline technologies. Even if panels are made in a high electricity emissions country, like China, PV reduces GHG emissions. A sustainable grid-connected photovoltaic system would combine appropriate solar photovoltaic technologies. An economic comparison is included to contextualize the findings. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) provides an invaluable tool for policymakers to evaluate such opportunities. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Product carbon footprinting has gained much attention in recent years as many national and international standards have been formulated as well as several carbon labeling schemes. Thailand has also made efforts in this direction over the past several years and is in fact the first country in the southeast Asian region to have developed national guidelines for carbon footprint calculation and labeling. During the process of conducting product carbon footprinting for pilot studies, many issues of concern were raised, some of which may be common to all countries, while others were more specific for tropical countries exporting agricultural products. Experiences are drawn from the study of several national (Publicly Available Specification 2050, Japanese and Thai national guidelines) and international (ISO14067) standards, including the application of some of these to several product carbon footprinting studies. Issues of data collection, grouping of products, co-product allocation, land-use change, product category rules, type of carbon label and consumer understanding have been discussed, with some possible solutions given to address these issues. The cost of carbon footprinting and labeling are also discussed, along with their implications on companies implementing carbon footprinting. Finally, suggestions are made for issues to be discussed at the international level with a view to harmonizing the carbon footprinting methodology, as well as to address the specific concerns of developing countries that have a large volume of agriculture-based exports. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The study assesses the impacts of the biofuels production to the socio-economic development in Thailand. The four kinds of biofuels considered in the analyses are ethanol from cassava, molasses and sugarcane ethanol as well as palm biodiesel. The key elements of socio-economic development including employment generation, economic effects on GDP and trade balance are investigated based on a combination of process and input–output analysis. The results show that producing ethanol and biodiesel require about 17–20 and 10 times more workers than gasoline and diesel as per energy content, respectively. Direct employment in agriculture contributes to more than 90% of total employment. Nevertheless, there are the significant differences in the characteristics of employment in the agriculture and biofuel processing sectors. The overall impacts of ethanol production in Thailand in year 2022 are the employment generation of around 238,700–382,400 person-years, 150 M$ additional GDP, imported goods worth 1583 M$ but 2547 M$ of imports would be saved if compared to petroleum fuels. The other socio-economic aspects such as agricultural improvement and rural development due to biofuels policy in Thailand and some policy measures that need to be urgently promoted are also discussed in the study. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The study assesses the environmental sustainability of palm biodiesel production systems in Thailand by focusing on their energy efficiency and environmental impact potentials. The Net Energy Balance (NEB) and Renewability indicate energy gain for palm biodiesel and its co-products as compared to fossil energy inputs. In addition, life cycle assessment also reveals lower values of environmental impact potentials of biodiesel as compared to conventional diesel. For example, palm biodiesel can provide greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction of around 46–73% as compared to diesel. Nitrogen-fertilizer production and application in the plantation and the air emissions from the ponds treating palm oil mill effluent (POME) are found to be the major environmental aspects. However, the energy and environmental performances depend on various factors such as the management efficiency of empty fruit bunches (EFB) and POME and the possible land-use change in the future. Recommendations are made for improving environmental performance of palm biodiesel and for securing the long-term availability of crude palm oil supply with a view towards sustainable palm biodiesel production. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Thailand as one of the global food exporting countries shares the worldwide concerns on climate change and initiated carbon footprinting and labeling in 2008. Individual quick frozen fried chicken meat and canned tuna in sunflower oil were selected as the pioneering case studies for carbon footprinting using the PAS 2050:2008 standard. It was revealed that broiler farm and tuna fisheries are the key stages contributing significantly to the total carbon footprint of the two products considered. The study also revealed the need for using representative data of raw materials according to the local context requiring the urgent development of agricultural and food databases. The rules of using substitute data must also be clearly defined. The industry argued for using a mass instead of the economic basis required by PAS 2050:2008 in allocating the carbon footprint to chicken parts and tuna white and red meat. The commitment of producers to reduce the size of carbon footprint is suggested to be emphasized for carbon labeling rather than displaying a carbon footprint value to avoid the comparison between products. Product Category Rules (PCRs) should be developed with stakeholder consultations and harmonized at the global scale. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

At present, there are many environmental, economic and social problems associated with poor municipal solid waste (MSW) management in Thailand. The development of sustainable solid waste management systems is a crucial aspect and should be based on an integrated approach. Therefore, an integrated system was designed for Nonthaburi Municipality incorporating recycling, anaerobic digestion, incineration and landfill technologies. In order to assess sustainability, a clear methodology was developed via life cycle thinking and a set of endpoint composite indicators has been proposed considering the most critical ultimate damages/effects of MSW management on the environment, the economy and society. The results showed that the appropriate integration of technologies offers important prospects with regards to socio-economic and environmental aspects, contributing, therefore, to improved sustainability for the overall MSW management system. The methodology and the proposed indicators would be useful in strategic planning, including decision- and policy-making with respect to the development of appropriate sustainable MSW management systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The study assesses the impacts of the bio-ethanol production to the environment and socio-economic development in Thailand. The key assessment elements include greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions performance, employment generation, and economic effects on gross domestic product (GDP) and trade balance of Thai economy. The results reveal that there are wide ranges of GHG emissions depending upon the production environment and especially when direct land-use change is included in the system boundary. GHG emissions for cassava and molasses ethanol range between 27 – 91 and 28 – 100g CO2-eq per MJ ethanol, respectively. For socio-economic impacts, producing bio-ethanol requires about 17-20 times more workers than gasoline for the same amount of final energy. Direct employment in agriculture contributes to more than 90% of the total employment. In addition, production of 1 TJ bio-ethanol could result in an additional GDP around 0.7-0.9M.THB and the increase of imported goods worth 0.7-1.8M.THB. However, around 0.4-1.1M.THB of imports would be saved per TJ from the promoting use of bio-ethanol to substitute gasoline. These obtained externalities raise the attractiveness of bio-ethanol in terms of net social benefit; however, it specifies to only in case that bio-ethanol production systems are sustainably managed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The study evaluates greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions performance of future bioethanol systems in Thailand to ascertain whether bioethanol for transport could help the country mitigate a global warming impact. GHG emission factors of bioethanol derived from cassava, molasses, and sugar cane are analyzed using 12 scenarios covering the critical variables possibly affecting the GHG performance, i.e., (1) the possible direct land use change caused by expanding feedstock cultivation areas; (2) types of energy carriers used in ethanol plants; and (3) waste utilization, e.g., biogas recovery and dry distillers grains with solubles (DDGS) production. The assessment reveals that GHG performance of a Thai bioethanol system is inclined to decrease in the long run due to the effects from the expansion of plantation areas to satisfy the deficit of cassava and molasses. Therefore, bioethanol will contribute to the country's strategic plan on GHG mitigation in the transportation sector only if the production systems are sustainably managed, i.e., coal replaced by biomass in ethanol plants, biogas recovery, and adoption of improved agricultural practices to increase crop productivity without intensification of chemical fertilizers. Achieving the year 2022 government policy targets for bioethanol with recommended measures would help mitigate GHG emissions up to 4.6 Gg CO2-eq per year. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The study evaluates the greenhouse gas (GHG) balance of biodiesel production through three chosen land use change scenarios in Thailand: rubber plantation to oil palm plantation in Krabi, cassava plantation to oil palm plantation in Chonburi, and abandoned land to oil palm plantation in Pathumthani. The carbon stock changes were estimated based on the 2006 IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories and combined with the life cycle GHG emissions from palm oil and biodiesel production in Thailand. For 1 million liters of biodiesel production per day, the Krabi, Chonburi and Pathumthani cases resulted in −709 Mg CO2-eq/day, −748 Mg CO2-eq/day and −600 Mg CO2-eq/day, respectively. The Pathumthani case showed the lowest negative GHG balance even with least fertilization partly because of larger transportation distances while the Chonburi case was the highest despite low yield as it would require more land to grow oil palm for the same amount of biodiesel, resulting in more soil carbon being sequestered. However, the land use change scenarios chosen for this study all show a negative GHG balance which means that biodiesel helps reduce GHG in the atmosphere. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In this paper we explain how a shift from culture of the black tiger shrimp (Penaeus monodon) to the Pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) took place during 2002–6 in Thailand. We use system innovation theory to help explain how niche substitution led to a regime change within a Thai aquaculture industry trying to maintain international competitiveness but under pressures from a global landscape in which consumers are increasingly concerned with health and ecological sustainability. Support from a vertically integrated major firm, an extensive foundation of learning networks within the industry, and early profitability made the scaling-up and embedding of the experiment with white shrimp very rapid once the formal ban on import of exotic broodstock was lifted. Disease management with domesticated, specific pathogen-free strains of white shrimp has proven much easier than with black shrimp still dependent on capture of wild broodstock. Moreover relative production costs are lower. The switch in species had significant consequences for the environment and firms. Using life cycle analysis we found that rearing white shrimp requires less resource and produces less waste than black shrimp. The shift in regime, however, also made it more difficult for small farms and hatchery businesses. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Measurements of landfill methane emission were performed at nine solid waste disposal sites in Thailand, including five managed sanitary landfills (four deep and one shallow landfills) and four unmanaged landfills (three deep and one shallow dumpsites). It was found that methane emissions during the rainy season were about five to six times higher than those during the winter and summer seasons in the case of managed landfills and two to five times higher in the case of unmanaged landfills. Methane emission estimate using the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Waste Model was compared with the actual field measurement from the studied disposal sites with methane correction factors and methane oxidation factors that were obtained by error function analysis with default values of half-life parameters. The methane emissions from the first-order decay model from the IPCC Waste Model yielded fair results compared to field measurements. The best fitting values of methane correction factor were 0.65, 0.20, 0.15, and 0.1 for deep landfills, shallow landfills, deep dumpsites, and shallow dumpsites, respectively. Using these key parameters in the case of Thailand, it was estimated that 89.22 Gg of methane were released from solid waste disposal sites into the atmosphere in 2006. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]