CARBON FOOTPRINT ASSESSMENT OF COMMERCIAL CROP CULTIVATION: A CASE STUDY OF MANGOSTEEN, DURIAN AND RUBBER IN PHROMMALOK SUB DISTRICT, PHROM KHIRI DISTRICT, NAKHON SI THAMMARAT PROVINCE

Abstract

The promotion of greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction in the agriculture sector is crucial for Thailand to achieve its carbon neutrality. This study aims to comparatively assess the carbon footprint of three major economic crops: mangosteen, durian, and rubber. The research was conducted in Phrommalok Sub-District, Phom Khiri District, Nakhon Si Thammarat Province. It Utilized primary data collected through questionnaires from 62 purposively selected farmers. The assessment followed Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) approach, defining the Functional Unit as per rai per year, and adopting the guidelines set by The Greenhouse Gas Management Organization (Public Organization). The system boundary covered agricultural inputs from land preparation to product transport. The results showed that CO₂ equivalent (CO₂eq) emissions were primarily driven by chemical fertilizers, fuel consumption for tillage, weed management, pesticides, and transport. The process of maintenance was identified as the major emission hotspot across all three crops. The commercial crop with the highest CO₂ eq emissions was durian at 338.38 Kg CO₂ eq/rai^-1/year^-1, followed by mangosteen at 287.41 Kg CO₂ eq/rai^-1/year^-1, and rubber at 217.34 Kg CO₂ eq/rai^-1/year^-1respectively. The findings provide essential baseline data for developing targeted sustainable agricultural practices and effective GHG mitigation strategies in the region.