Research Grants Program Office

The hop industry is culturally and economically significant in the United States due to its central role in beer production, yet its environmental impacts remain understudied. To address this gap, this study conducts a cradle-to-gate life cycle assessment (LCA) of aroma hop production, beginning with seedling propagation via tissue culture and ending with packaged hop pellets ready for shipment. Results show that producing 1 kg of aroma hop pellets generates 5.19 kg CO₂-equivalent (kgCO₂e) of potential global warming impact (GWP) and eutrophication (EP) of 15.61 g N-equivalent (gNeq). Farm cultivation represents the largest contributor, accounting for nearly 60% of GWP and over 63% of EP. Scenario analysis indicates that shifting irrigation methods can reduce EP by 17–34% and GWP by 11–20% relative to the baseline. Air drying of hops can further reduce GWP by 24%, while complete reliance on solar energy decreases EP and GWP by 13% and 5%, respectively. The substantial contribution of irrigation is linked to its high energy demand, suggesting that improvements in the energy-water nexus are critical for reducing the environmental footprint of hop production and advancing more sustainable agricultural practices.