Energy and Carbon Input-Output Analysis of Eggplant Production in Barangay Culianan, Zamboanga City, Philippines

Abstract

The study on the carbon efficiency ratio of eggplant production was conducted in barangay Culianan, Zamboanga City, Philippines, to estimate the input-output carbon to produce eggplant and to determine its carbon efficiency ratio. The eggplant production obtained a total input carbon of 3,698.91 CO2e kg^-1 calculated from the total energy input (TEI), where the TEI is the sum of the total of ‘direct energy input (DEI), indirect energy input (IEI)’ and embedded energy input (EEI). The TEI in Mcal units converted into Liter Diesel Oil Equivalent (LDOE), where 1.0 LDOE equals 11.414 Mcal unit^-1 and multiplied by 3.96 kg CO_2e emission to obtain the CO₂ emission equivalent, results showed that crop establishment activity got the highest input carbon with 58.35% potential CO₂ emission equivalent, followed by pre-land preparation (38.46%), harvest and postharvest (2.13%). Meanwhile, crop care and management obtained the lowest input carbon at 1.06% CO_2e potential share. While for the output carbon, the eggplant production got an output carbon of 4,437.48 CO_2e kg^-1 giving a total of 738.57 CO_2e kg^-1 net carbon. The carbon efficiency (ratio) was derived from output carbon divided by input carbon which gives the result of 1.21, the ratio was related to the average yield of eggplant. It shows that the existing cultural practices of eggplant production in the city have a positive rate of sequestered carbon, whereas it does not emit carbon to the atmosphere beyond the output carbon produced from the production of eggplant. It implies that the amount of carbon emitted is less than that of carbon sequestered, indicating that eggplant is one of the crops that can mitigate carbon emissions.