How Vegetable Oil Impacts on Our Planet ?

Efforts towards sustainability need to be achieved in various ways. Starting from awareness of climate change issues, to wisdom in choosing food ingredients as daily consumption. Each of these efforts will basically be very meaningful if carried out continuously and massively. one of them is in terms of the use of vegetable oil. The reason is, vegetable oil has various impacts on the environment.

In this article, we will go further on how the impact of vegetable oil production and consumption on the environment.

Table of Contents

Deforestation

Vegetable oil crops, specifically soy and palm oil, are two of the three leading causes of global deforestation, responsible for almost 20% of tropical deforestation globally. In recent decades, oil palm plantations have caused over half of the local deforestation in Malaysian Borneo and are believed to play a major role in global deforestation.

When forests are burned to clear land for oilseed crops, one of the numerous negative outcomes is the rise in harmful emissions, including greenhouse gasses and hazardous air pollutants from the smoke.

Biodiversity Loss

Oilseed plantations typically involve monocultures, meaning they are made up of a single crop species over a vast area. Transforming natural ecosystems into monocultures for oilseed crops can greatly diminish biodiversity. This may result in the loss of plant and animal species, disrupt ecosystems, and decrease genetic diversity, which is known as ‘biodiversity loss’.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) documents that over 300 animal species are threatened by the cultivation of vegetable oils such as oil palm.

Soil Degradation

Monoculture farming practices can cause land degradation and reduce soil fertility. This happens in the process of growing the same crop repeatedly on the same land and depletes specific nutrients that the crop requires. Over time, the soil becomes deficient in those nutrients, making it less fertile.

Monoculture also reduces organic matter in the soil, which is crucial for maintaining good soil structure. Without diverse plant roots to help hold the soil together, the soil can become compacted and lose its ability to retain water and air, which later on causes erosion.

Chemical Usage

The extensive application of pesticides and fertilizers in vegetable oil production can negatively impact the environment. These substances can pollute soil and water, harm non-target species, and reduce populations of pollinators such as bees. Chemical use in plantations can also contaminate nearby water sources and soil, damaging aquatic life and terrestrial species. This pollution can cause declines in species sensitive to environmental changes.

Mitigation Measures

Addressing the environmental impacts of vegetable oil production requires a combination of sustainable farming practices, policy measures, and consumer awareness. To the environment, agroforestry or integrating vegetable oil crops with other crops and maintaining forest areas can help reduce negative impacts.

To consumers, the act of reducing the consumption of products containing unsustainable vegetable oils can decrease demand and its associated environmental impacts. Besides, supporting the development and use of alternative oils, such as algae-based oils or sustainably sourced oils, will lower environmental impacts and support more sustainability. Understanding the impact of vegetable oil on our planet, companies that produce vegetable oil also need to be aware of the production process. In this case, the point that should not be left behind is about carbon emission. Now, company can calculate emission and plan the sustainable strategy with Satuplatform.com. Try the FREE DEMO now!