Carbon Footprint of Table Grapes Imported from India—Analysis and Reduction Potentials

Abstract

Consumers expect an all year round supply of fruits and vegetables, which includes table grape. In spring, at a time when domestic table grapes are not available in Europe, India is a major source of table grapes on the world market. The objective of this study was to follow the table grape from their origin in India to Bonn in Germany, where the study authors are based and purchased the grapes. After harvest, table grapes are hydro-cooled, packed in PET punnets and transported by refrigerated truck over ca. 400 km to Mumbai, where they are shipped at 0 °C in reefer containers from the Indian ocean via the Suez Canal to Antwerp. From there, refrigerated trucks transport them over ca. 235 km to an RDC and then retail shops, where the consumer purchases them. The carbon footprint of table grapes imported from India to Bonn, Germany was 333 (297–379) g CO2eq/500 g punnet from farm gate to consumer (B2C). The largest contributor (108 [89–131] g CO2eq) was the shipping at 0 °C over 11,400 km (6317 nautical miles), followed by the production and supply of the PET punnets (66 g CO2eq) and then the consumer shopping (20 kg shopping basket, 5 km) with 66 g CO2eq/500 g punnet with his private fossil-fuel powered vehicle at the destination, one of the carbon reduction potentials apart from use of R‑PET punnets or use of PE bags or cartoons. Overall, the carbon footprints of importing Indian (333 g CO2eq) grapes resembled that of South African (309 g CO2eq) ones due to comparable mileage between Mumbai/India and Antwerp (6317 nm) and Capetown and Antwerp (6155 nm).