Cooking Oils Sustainability Profile Part II
Way back in 2018, I wrote my Cooking Oils Sustainability Profile. This article is still one of my most popular, but it could use some updating. Some oils have jumped in popularity, and researchers have published new research about old favorites. In this article, I walk you through the sustainability issues associated with eight different cooking oils.
sunflower oil
Sunflower oil has recently become super popular for its mild taste and high smoke point (which makes it ideal for frying). Since sunflower oil is relatively new to the scene, there isn't much information about its sustainability.
However, one can assume that farmers grow sunflowers in monocultures and rely on pesticides and chemical fertilizers, as is the case with most crops. To combat the environmental woes of pesticides and fertilizers, go for organic sunflower oil.
Organic sunflower oil might be especially sustainable if you live in Europe or Asia because most sunflower oil comes from Russia and Ukraine. If you live outside Europe or Asia, this will increase your sunflower oil's carbon footprint, but likely not tremendously so.
BOTTOM LINE: ORGANIC SUNFLOWER OIL IS LIKELY A SUSTAINABLE CHOICE, ESPECIALLY IF YOU LIVE IN EUROPE OR ASIA.
safflower oil
Safflower oil is a type of neutral vegetable oil extracted from the spiky, yellow safflower plant. It has a super high smoke point, so get your deep fryer ready!
Like sunflower oil, there aren't many studies specifically investigating safflower oil sustainability. From my research, I found that most brands are products of the U.S. or Mexico, and it is reasonably easy to find organic varieties. If you live in these areas, safflower oil seems to be a fairly sustainable option.
BOTTOM LINE: ORGANIC SAFFLOWER OIL SEEMS FAIRLY SUSTAINABLE. LOOK FOR LOCAL VARIETIES IN THE U.S. AND MEXICO.
grapeseed oil
Interestingly, grapeseed oil is a byproduct of wine-making. After manufacturers separate the grape seeds from the flesh, they can process those seeds to extract oil. Taken at face value, making use of another crop's byproduct is inherently sustainable. However, this connection means that we can't talk about grapeseed oil sustainability without considering sustainability in the wine industry.
Like most modern agricultural industries, many wineries are associated with pesticide use, chemical fertilizers and soil depletion. To combat this, some farmers and scientists have found ways to make the industry more sustainable and have created sustainability certifications for wineries.
Unfortunately, these sustainability certifications do not transfer to grapeseed oil, so we consumers are left guessing. If you can find grapeseed oil from a local sustainable winery, this could be a very sustainable option. If not, buying organic is your best bet.
Grapeseed oil only has one downside compared to other oils: most grapeseed oil is solvent expelled rather than cold-pressed. This means that manufacturers rely on chemicals (like hexane) to extract the oil from grapeseeds. Generally, this process is more energy-intensive and worse for human health than cold-pressing. Despite this, organic or locally produced grapeseed oil remains a sustainable choice compared to many other cooking oils.
BOTTOM LINE: AS A BYPRODUCT OF WINE-MAKING, GRAPESEED OIL IS QUITE SUSTAINABLE. GO FOR ORGANIC AND SUPPORT LOCAL PRODUCERS IF POSSIBLE.
corn oil
Corn is the most widely used crop in the U.S., taking up huge amounts of land across the "Corn Belt" in the Great Plains and the midwest. Many different industries rely on corn for all kinds of materials and products, edible and nonedible.
Despite its widespread use, corn is not a very sustainable crop. Farmers generally grow corn in huge monocultures that rely heavily on nitrogen fertilizers and pesticides. Corn also requires a ton of water, which is becoming more and more scarce in the Great Plains (peep my post about the Ogallala Aquifer).
Putting these factors together, corn is contributing to soil depletion, pollution and water scarcity. And these issues will only worsen with climate change. Although it isn't associated with egregious environmental woes like palm oil, I wouldn't call corn oil sustainable. If you can find a trusted local producer, it might be a sustainable option. If not, skip it.
BOTTOM LINE: CORNFIELDS CONTRIBUTE TO POLLUTION AND WATER SCARCITY IN THE U.S. LOCAL AND ORGANIC VARIETIES MIGHT BE A SUSTAINABLE OPTION.
peanut oil
Peanuts are one of the most widespread oil crops, growing in Asia, Africa, Australia and North and South America. Peanuts are a relatively sustainable crop because they fix nitrogen into the soil (rather than take nitrogen, like corn) and don't use a ton of water.
However, they are usually grown in monocultures and typically rely on fungicides. Many peanut farmers also rotate their fields between peanuts and cotton, a relatively unsustainable crop. Unlike peanuts, cotton is water-intensive, is often associated with poor working conditions and is linked to child labor.
If you can find a trusted local source for organic peanut oil, this could be a sustainable oil option. However, conventional peanut oil on grocery store shelves could be contributing to unsustainable practices in the cotton industry.
BOTTOM LINE: GO FOR ORGANIC AND LOCAL PEANUT OIL. SKIP THE CONVENTIONAL STUFF.
coconut oil
In Sustainable Cooking Oils Part I, I mentioned that coconut oil is associated with human rights concerns and soil depletion. Those concerns still hold, AND another coconut oil concern has recently come into the spotlight: biodiversity loss.
A study published in July 2020 found that for every million tons of oil produced, coconut oil threatens 18.3 species, while palm oil (an infamously unsustainable oil) threatens 3.8 species. At first glance, this might make you want to cancel coconut oil. However, many researchers argue that these numbers are misleading.
If you're looking at the amount of land the crops use rather than the tons of oil produced, coconut oil threatens 5.3 species per hectare of cropland, while palm oil threatens 17 species per hectare.
The study may also be deceiving because only about 8% of coconut oil grows on highly biodiverse, small island nations. Most coconut oil comes from Indonesia, the Philippines and India, where it does not threaten nearly as many species as palm oil. Because a small amount of coconut oil grows in super biodiverse areas, the study's numbers are inaccurate for most coconut oil operations.
Overall, it seems like coconut oil is not as sustainable as many like to think, but it is likely not as bad for biodiversity as that study made it seem. Stick to fair trade varieties, or reach for a different oil.
BOTTOM LINE: COCONUT OIL IS LINKED TO HUMAN RIGHTS CONCERNS, SOIL DEPLETION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS. FIND ANOTHER OIL OR REACH FOR FAIR TRADE.
olive oil
As one of the most popular cooking oils, many studies have explored the sustainability of olive oil. One study found that most of olive oil's carbon footprint comes from the agricultural portion of its lifecycle (rather than packaging or transportation). Namely, pesticides and fertilizers were the most harmful components of growing olives, contributing to pollution and soil depletion.
Many modern olive groves are also overcrowded to increase production, contributing to soil depletion and the spread of pests. On the other hand, traditional olive groves often employ more sustainable growing techniques that minimize overcrowding and pesticide use.
Unfortunately, there is no way for buyers outside of the Mediterranean to tell whether olive oil at the grocery store is traditionally grown. Many olive oil producers are trying to create a more useful labeling system. For now, your best bet is to buy organic olive oil. Although this isn't perfect, it is a pretty sustainable option, especially if you live in an olive-producing region.
BOTTOM LINE: ORGANIC OLIVE OIL FROM TRADITIONALLY MANAGED GROVES ARE THE MOST SUSTAINABLE OPTIONS.
canola oil (aka rapeseed oil)
Most canola oil and rapeseed oil grows in Canada and Europe, where it has similar sustainability concerns to corn. Canola requires lots of fertilizers and pesticides and typically grows in monoculture fields.
Although it isn't associated with major human rights violations or outrageous environmental damage, these growing conditions contribute to soil depletion and water scarcity over time.
You can likely find a more sustainable option. But if you can't live without canola oil, go for organic and cold-pressed canola. Like I mentioned earlier, cold-pressed oils require less energy and fewer chemicals during production than expeller pressed and solvent expelled oils.
BOTTOM LINE: ORGANIC COLD-PRESSED IS YOUR BEST BET FOR CANOLA OIL, BUT OTHER OILS HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO BE MUCH MORE SUSTAINABLE.
avocado oil
Avocado oil has become increasingly popular since the U.S. began importing avocados from Mexico in 1997. Since that time, avocado prices have increased globally, even in the Mexican villages where they grow. This price increase has made it more difficult for local communities to enjoy this culturally significant crop.
Making avocado oil's social sustainability even worse, many cartels have taken an interest in lucrative avocado farms in Mexico. Some cartels have taken control over avocado farm towns, making farmers hand over portions of their profits. These situations can lead to violent cartel clashes or fights between residents and cartels.
Environmentally, avocados are not much better. They are usually grown in intensive monocultures that deplete soils and precious water sources. These environmental issues are a massive problem in the U.S. as well. Most U.S. avocados grow in California and Florida, which are also water-scarce and dealing with topsoil loss and soil depletion.