Sustainable management of agricultural supply chains requires a systemic understanding of how inputs, processes, and storage operations interact to influence environmental performance. Wheat is a strategic crop essential for global food security, and its production is associated with considerable environmental burdens. This study aims to evaluate the environmental impacts of wheat production and storage using a cradle-to-silo-gate life cycle assessment (LCA) approach. The system boundary includes wheat cultivation and one-year silo storage. Data were collected from wheat farms and a silo facility in Mashhad, Iran, and environmental impacts were assessed using the SimaPro software. The results show that the global warming potential (GWP) of wheat cultivation was 586.19 kgCO₂eq per ton, mainly due to chemical fertilizers (39.89%) and diesel fuel (23.6%). Eutrophication potential was 6.58 kgPO₄⁻³eq, almost influenced by fertilizer use. During the storage phase, the GWP increased to 728.03 kgCO₂eq for one ton of wheat stored for a year. Endpoint results indicated damages to human health (0.018 DALY), ecosystem quality (4.79×10⁻⁵ species·yr), and resource depletion (USD 67.43). The findings emphasize that chemical fertilizer and diesel consumption are the key contributors to environmental impacts in wheat life cycle. A systemic interpretation of the findings reveals that inefficiencies at the first stage cascade down through the entire supply chain, amplifying environmental burdens at subsequent stages. Accordingly, management and policy interventions should prioritize strategies to reduce environmental impacts, such as optimizing fertilizer application, improving irrigation efficiency, integrating biofertilizers, upgrading to energy-efficient machinery, and using renewable energy in silage operations. These strategies can significantly reduce the environmental footprint of wheat systems and enhance supply chain sustainability.

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