Conventional agricultural production systems are increasingly challenged to balance environmental sustainability with economic performance, highlighting the need to systematically evaluate climate-smart agricultural practices as viable alternatives. The primary objective of the present work is to assess the environmental and economic benefits of implementing different Climate Smart Agricultural (CSA) practices in the agricultural sector. For this purpose, four different CSA practices, including intercropping, renewable energy, variable rate fertilizer and no-tillage system, were studied in wheat cultivation in Lithuania. Subsequently, their environmental and economic performance was compared to a conventional wheat producing farm. For the environmental performance, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) analysis was performed following the respective ISO recommendations. Based on the results, the incorporation of CSA practices in the agricultural sector can lead not only to substantial improvements in environmental performance but also to notable economic benefits, depending on the selected practice. Regarding their environmental performance, the most prominent studied CSA was renewable energy that minimizes greenhouse gas emissions, followed by variable rate fertilization. The economic analysis showed intercropping to be the most profitable option, with the total profit being 792 €/ha, while no-tillage also showed competitive results, with subsidies in each studied system playing a major role in the economic performance. Conversely, variable rate fertilization and renewable energy integration highlighted trade-offs between environmental advantages and short-term economic feasibility. Overall, the adoption of CSA practices represents a promising pathway toward more sustainable and resilient agri-food systems.

The main scope of the present study is to assess the environmental and economic outcomes of applying distinct Climate-Smart Agricultural (CSA) practices in apple cultivation. Thus, four different CSA practices, including organic farming, cover crops, floral bands, and grazing, were selected, and their environmental and economic performance was evaluated and compared to that of a conventional apple orchard system (baseline). Specifically, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Life Cycle Costing (LCC) methodologies were applied to assess the environmental and economic sustainability of the studied systems, respectively. Among the studied practices, grazing exhibited the best environmental performance among the modeled scenarios (approximately 25% decrease in greenhouse gas emissions compared to the baseline under the assumed conditions), followed by organic farming that significantly decreased eutrophication- and ecotoxicity-related impacts. Similarly, organic farming and grazing exhibited the best economic performance in the concept of the present study, with the total profit per hectare rising to approximately 5300 € and 4300 €, respectively, compared to the value of 3700 € of the conventional apple orchard. The results suggest that the implementation of CSA practices has the potential to improve the environmental and economic performance of apple orchards under the modeled conditions.

Although climate-smart agricultural practices are increasingly promoted, comparative environmental and economic assessments across multiple practices and crops remain limited. This study evaluates five climate-smart agricultural practices in Dutch potato and onion production, including soil management, biodiversity enhancement, sustainable irrigation systems, crop protection, and green energy use. It compares them with conventional production systems using integrated Life Cycle Assessment and Life Cycle Costing. Specifically, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Life Cycle Costing (LCC) methodologies were applied to assess the environmental and economic sustainability of the studied systems, respectively. Among the evaluated practices, soil management exhibited the best overall environmental performance for both crops, achieving reductions of up to 42% and 66% in greenhouse gas emissions for potatoes and onions, respectively, compared with the baseline under the modelled conditions. Biodiversity measures significantly reduced freshwater eutrophication and ecotoxicity-related impacts, particularly in potato cultivation, while crop protection practices mainly improved pesticide-related toxicity categories. Similarly, soil management and biodiversity demonstrated the best economic performance, with profits increasing to approximately €3318/ha and €3121/ha for potatoes and €3898/ha and €3694/ha for onions, respectively, compared with baseline profits of €2879/ha and €3526/ha. The results suggest that the implementation of CSA practices can improve both the environmental and economic sustainability of intensive vegetable production systems under the modelled Dutch conditions, although the effectiveness of each practice depends strongly on crop-specific environmental hotspots and management assumptions. The findings provide evidence to support farmers and policymakers in selecting cost-effective climate-smart practices while identifying priorities for future field validation and uncertainty assessment.