Sustainable Wheat Production Through Precision Agriculture: An LCA Case Study in Italy

Abstract

The growing demand for food is placing growing pressure on agricultural systems, raising concerns about their environmental sustainability. In this context, precision agriculture represents a promising approach for improving resource-use efficiency while maintaining high yields. This study aimed to assess the environmental performance of soft wheat production during the transition from conventional to smart and precision farming under real farm conditions. A Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) was conducted following ISO 14040 and 14044 standards using primary data collected from a farm located in Umbria (Italy). Two consecutive three-year production periods were compared: conventional farming (2019–2021) and smart and precision farming (2022–2024). Environmental impacts were assessed using the Environmental Footprint 3.1 method. The transition was associated with a 20.8% reduction in the overall environmental impact. This improvement reflects the combined effects of adopting smart and precision agriculture technologies together with the renewal of farm machinery, which results in lower fuel consumption and more efficient fertilizer and pesticide management. Most impact categories showed improvements, particularly climate change, ecotoxicity, and particulate matter. However, freshwater eutrophication increased due to changes in fertilization strategy, including reduced nitrogen fertilizer use and increased phosphorus fertilizer application. Sensitivity analyses confirmed the consistency of the results; despite some influence on yield variation, the overall comparison remained consistent under the tested scenarios. These findings highlight the potential of smart and precision agriculture to improve the environmental sustainability of soft wheat production under real farm conditions.