Crop Diversification and Resilience of Drought-Resistant Species in Semi-Arid Areas: An Economic and Environmental Analysis

Abstract

Specialization and intensification in agriculture have increased productivity but have also led to the spread of monocultural systems, simplifying production but reducing genetic diversity. The purpose of this study was to propose crop diversification as a tool to increase biodiversity and achieve sustainable and resilient intensive agriculture, particularly in areas with water scarcity. In this paper, a combined life cycle assessment (LCA) and life cycle costing (LCC) applied to evaluate the environmental and economic sustainability of a differentiated system of cultivation were (pomegranates, almonds and olives), according to modern intensive and super-intensive cropping systems. Based on the results obtained, it is deduced that pomegranate cultivation generated the highest environmental load, followed by almonds and olives. From the financial analysis, it emerged that almond farming is the most profitable, followed by pomegranate and olive farming.