Energy Use and Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions in Raspberry Production: Case Study of the Yeljezno Polje Region in Bosnia and Herzegovina

This study aims to assess the energy use efficiency and greenhouse gas emissions associated with raspberry production, which constitutes a significant export product for Bosnia and Herzegovina. The data used in this analysis are from the 2021 production period and was sourced from 91 raspberry farms through a survey methodology. The country holds 11th position in the global rankings for raspberry production, with the Yeljezno Polje Region recognized as a critical area for this industry. The sample size for this research was determined to be 91, yielding a 10% margin of error and a 95% confidence interval, based on a non-clustered simple random sampling approach derived from the principal population estimates of 1800 raspberry enterprises within the region. The study calculated energy use efficiency in raspberry cultivation to be 2.34, with specific energy consumption recorded at 5.04 MJ per kilogram, energy productivity 19.85 MJ per kilogram, and net energy efficiency at 10,144.63 MJ ha−1. The primary source of energy input in raspberry production was identified as fuel, with a consumption of 3719.25 MJ ha−1 (49.22%), followed by nitrogen fertilizer, which accounted for 2080.80 MJ ha−1 (27.12%). Notably, 8.45% of the total energy inputs in raspberry cultivation were derived from renewable sources, while 91.55% were from non-renewable sources. The assessment determined total greenhouse gas emissions to be 868.10 kg CO2-eqha−1 (0.868 tons CO2-eqha−1), resulting in a greenhouse gas ratio of 0.58 per kilogram. The findings indicate that the contributions from fuel and nitrogen fertilizer represent the highest share of total greenhouse gas emissions.