A splash here, a splash there. You might not think your cooking oil matters much for the climate and the environment. But it does.
Farming accounts for about a third of global carbon emissions. And, according to a major study published in 2022, nearly 20 percent of the planet’s total farmed land goes toward oil crops.
But that doesn’t mean that all oils are bad. Some are much better than others. And, in some cases, they might even provide a net benefit in terms of planet-warming carbon.
Here, in a nutshell, is what you should know.
The global rankings
Just four crops make up more than 85 percent of the world’s edible oil: palm, soy, canola and sunflower.
Peanut, coconut and olive oils are the next biggest. All the others, including corn, grapeseed and avocado, make up just a sliver of the global market.
According to that study published in 2022, canola and sunflower oil are the two best bets for the climate, on average, around the world.
