What Effect Does Potato Production Have on Human Health?

In 2022, global potato production reached approximately 376 million tons. The leading producers include China, India, Russia, Ukraine, and the United States. In Africa, potato cultivation produced 20 million tons, with Morocco ranking as the third-largest producer in the Maghreb region with 2.2 million tons. Annual production can vary depending on climatic conditions, agricultural practices, and other economic factors.

This study evaluated the impacts on human health in relation to potato production in northern Morocco, using life cycle assessment (LCA) with the USEtox method. The three categories ( human toxicity – carcinogenic, human toxicity – non-carcinogenic, and ecotoxicity )were assessed to identify the main hot spots and characterize the production process. To do so, the openLCA 2.1.1 software was used. Additionally, to identify the main hot spots and characterize the manufacturing process, this work gathered comprehensive data on potato production. The functional unit considered is one ton of cultivated potatoes. The results obtained are as follows: human toxicity – non-carcinogenic is 0.01171 CTU, human toxicity – carcinogenic is 1.39568×10⁶ CTU, and ecotoxicity is 1.82540×10⁴ CTU. Machinery and diesel, nitrogen have been identified as the main hot spots during the production period. This study suggests that future research should include the replacement or reduction of the machinery, diesel , nitrogen used in the production process.