Assessment of social aspects across Europe resulting from the insertion of technologies for nutrient recovery and recycling in agriculture

Abstract

The potential beneficial and harmful social impacts generated by the introduction of novel technologies, in general, and those concerning nutrient recovery and the improvement of nutrient efficiency in agriculture, in particular, have received little attention, as shown in the literature. This study investigated the current social impacts of agricultural practices in Belgium, Germany and Spain, and the potential social impacts of novel technologies introduced in agriculture to reduce nutrient losses. Based on 65 indicators used in the PSILCA database, the greatest impacts in the baselines are related to fair salaries, biomass consumption, industrial water depletion and public sector corruption. The potential social impacts of the technologies were assessed using 17 midpoint indicators that have a potential to affect social endpoints. The potential benefits of novel agricultural technologies were the creation of more attractive jobs in agriculture, and a better and healthier environment for local communities, workers and society. However, their harmful effects mainly related to workers and local community health, due to the substances used in the technologies and the potential gases emitted. Given the current lack of Social Life Cycle Assessment (S-LCA) studies on novel technologies in agriculture, this study is the first to use the PSILCA database to assess different technologies for nutrient recovery in agriculture in an initial and prospective assessment of their potential social impacts. Further work is required for a site-specific assessment of the technologies when a higher level of social adaptation is achieved.