Chinese researchers work to reduce carbon footprint of fruit by implementing labelling practices

The company that received the certificates noted that such labelling will help consumers better understand the climate impact of their purchases, fostering sustainable habits and encouraging agricultural innovators to develop and adopt low-carbon technologies.

During the growth of durians, processes such as cultivation, irrigation, fertiliser and pesticide application, packaging and transport contribute to carbon emissions. Research conducted by the College of Resources and Environmental Sciences of the Nanjing Agricultural University (NAU) showed that the production of 1kg of durians is accompanied by greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to about 2kg of carbon dioxide.

Associate Professor Cheng Kun said durians have a higher carbon footprint than other fruits, especially since they only started fruiting two years ago. Low returns in the early stages of durian tree growth result in more carbon emissions per unit of production. This is reported by Xinhua News Agency, a partner of TV BRICS.

More than 30 companies in nine provinces in China have now been certified as zero-carbon agricultural products, indicating zero or negative greenhouse gas emissions throughout the production process.