In 2025–26, a team of FAO (UN) experts conducted a global LCA (Life Cycle Assessment) study of Uzbekistan’s fruit and vegetable sector. The assessment quantified varying degrees of environmental impact across different horticultural production systems. The need for this research was driven by the fact that Uzbekistan’s horticultural sector is currently facing a triple challenge: water scarcity, land degradation, and the necessity to meet its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement, notes EastFruit.
Experts highlighted several key insights based on the results of the study:
1. Cultivating 1 tonne of greenhouse-grown strawberries in Uzbekistan using coal-based heating generates a carbon footprint of approximately 19.2 tonnes of CO₂, which is comparable to emissions from burning 7.6 tonnes of coal.
2. An intensive cherry orchard equipped with subsurface drip irrigation/fertigation and solar-powered energy supply can serve as a strong climate asset, generating a negative carbon footprint of –172 kg CO₂ per tonne of production.
3. Switching from furrow irrigation to conventional drip irrigation for mid‑ to late‑ripening watermelon does not reduce the carbon footprint, due to minimal yield increase combined with higher energy consumption for pumping—illustrating the importance of an integrated approach (drip irrigation + renewable energy).
4. The eutrophication potential under traditional furrow irrigation is highest for cherries (18.5 kg PO₄³⁻‑eq./t) and open‑field strawberries (27.9 kg PO₄³⁻‑eq./t) due to nutrient runoff into water bodies.
5. Hydroponics in greenhouses, despite increasing yields, does not solve the key issue — emissions from heating, while the substrates and specialized equipment used (including multi‑tier hydroponic racks and systems) can carry a substantial carbon footprint of their own.
The full results of the study will be provided to the relevant government bodies of Uzbekistan to support the development of future policies aimed at minimizing the environmental impacts of the country’s expanding fruit and vegetable production.
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