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Regenerative agriculture is a decentralized and loosely-organized movement that has emerged to grapple with the issues of our reliance on modern, industrial agriculture.

What is Regenerative Agriculture? And How to Support the Movement

What is Regenerative Agriculture? And How to Support the Movement
JUNE 1, 2023
WRITTEN BY: Corey Nelson

Article at a Glance
Modern agriculture, which emerged during the 20th century, has introduced benefits but also new problems for humanity.

The current model of agriculture is unsustainable — it causes serious problems with pollution, deforestation, species loss, antibiotic resistance, and fragile supply chains.

Regenerative agriculture is a decentralized movement that offers real solutions to the current ecological and food security crisis.

Introduction
The 20th century saw a lot of changes in how humans live. Advancements in medical care meant an increasing number of people surviving to reproductive age and living well past their 40s. Increased urbanization and mobilization means that more people than ever migrated from farmland to cities and sprawling suburbs. And that means fewer and fewer people are growing their own food. 

Increased lifespan, plus explosions in worldwide population numbers resulted in the invention of new agricultural technologies like ammonia fertilizer and drought-resistant crops transformed farming [*]. 

Although these advances have improved the quality of life for many people and helped to prevent starvation in resource-scarce regions, they have also introduced new challenges and issues around sustainable resource management and public health, including:

Air and water pollution caused by fertilizer runoff and fossil fuel usage [*]

Deforestation and decreased biodiversity [*]

Antibiotic resistance caused by the reliance on antibiotics in animal husbandry [*]

Toxic algae blooms and fish die-offs [*]

High rates of cancer and other diseases among agricultural workers, caused by pesticides and other chemicals [*]

Easily-disrupted supply chains, resulting in food insecurity risks, as seen during the Covid-19 pandemic [*]

Consolidation of agricultural land ownership and political power by corporate interests [*]

Since World War 2, industrial agriculture has become the norm. Monocropping and intensive factory of farming rely on fossil fuels, multinational companies, and artificial fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides to continually increase productivity and profitability — usually with little regard for long-term sustainability or ecological issues [*].

The current agricultural system is facing significant sustainability challenges, as indicated by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization. According to their reports, if new approaches are not adopted, the global amount of arable and productive land per person in 2050 will have decreased to just a quarter of what it was in 1960 [*]. And if current rates of soil degradation continue, all of the world's top soil could be gone within 60 years [*].

Fortunately, a decentralized and loosely-organized movement has emerged to grapple with the issues of our reliance on modern, industrial agriculture — drawing from a diverse array of traditions and thinkers, including Indigenous and other traditional farming systems, small-scale farmers and ranchers, soil scientists, and environmental activists.

What Is Regenerative Agriculture?
Regenerative agriculture focuses on using sustainable and innovative methods to rehabilitate land, conserve resources, and produce healthy food. Because the movement is decentralized, there's no standard, accepted definition. 

Robert Rodale, who was among the first people to use the term in the 1980s, explained regenerative agriculture methods as [*]:

Increasing food productivity while also increasing the base of available land and soil.

Being highly economically and biologically stable.

Having little to no impact on the environment beyond the farm or field boundaries.

Producing safe, healthy food.

Other 20th-century innovators in this field include Bill Mollison and David Holmgren. Together, they coined the term permaculture in the 1970s in Australia, meaning "permanent culture" — a way of living that wouldn't decline in productivity over time or rely on unsustainable use of resources [*].

Of course, these ideas didn’t originate in the 20th century. While Bill Mollison and David Holmgren are known for coining the term permaculture in the 20th century, these methods and approaches have deeper roots. Mollison, for instance, acknowledged aboriginal Tasmanian land use practices as a major influence [*].

Today, Indigenous people and other groups who have been marginalized and deprived of access to land and resources are also sharing important and valuable perspectives on regenerative agriculture [*].

Regenerative Agriculture Principles and Goals
Some definitions of regenerative agriculture focus on the principles and goals rather than the methods used [*].

Regenerative agriculture typically uses circular or systems-based models to understand food production and the appropriate use of resources [*]. These models account for every component involved in sustainable food production.

Instead of pursuing endless expansion and growth with corporate profits as the bottom line, regenerative farmers view themselves as one part of a complex, living, life-giving web that includes animals, crops, wild plants and trees, soil and soil microbes, and more [*].

While each practitioner or organization's goals can vary, common ones include [*,*]: Growing healthier foods

Improving soil health

Sequestering carbon in soil and plants

Increasing biodiversity

Making people and food systems more resilient

Reducing pollution and waste

The best ways to achieve these outcomes can vary depending on the region, the grower, and the size of the farming operation [*]. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to regenerative agriculture.

Regenerative Agriculture Methods
There are no rules that specify exactly which methods are regenerative — as long as they create the desired outcomes and meet the needs of a farmer or community in a sustainable, ecologically thoughtful manner [*].

This list of methods isn't exhaustive, and there's still plenty of room for new, innovative methods that can help solve current problems with industrial agriculture and supply chains [*]:

Composting

Cover crops

Small-scale permaculture

Integrated or circular systems of food production

Urban farming

No-till or reduced-tilling crops

Holistic grazing, also called intensive rotational grazing 

Keyline design, a farming system that focuses on using the natural availability of water in a landscape

Agroforestry (the integration of trees and shrubs into crops and animal husbandry)

Silvopasture (managed woodland pasture, with trees integrated into animal grazing zones)

Indigenous and other traditional farming systems

The common theme shared by most regenerative agriculture methods is that they're intended to restore the health and resiliency of land, soil, animals, people, and communities over time. 

In general, these methods are modeled on the relationship between soil, microbes, plants, and animals found in the natural environment. They also maximize exposure to abundant renewable resources (like the sun), while minimizing practices that result in excessive waste or pollution.

The result is that as time goes on, regenerative food systems require fewer inputs to produce healthy, sustainable food — they become less reliant on labor, fertilizers, water irrigation, and machinery that uses fossil fuels.

Whether you're a backyard gardener or a rancher with tens of thousands of acres, you can apply regenerative agriculture methods to nourish local ecosystems and feed yourself, your family, or your community.

Why Does Regenerative Agriculture Matter?
Regenerative agriculture is an exciting and growing movement with the potential to address major issues around soil depletion, sustainability, land use, food security, pollution, climate change, and more.

The statistics are clear that the dominant, profit-driven, industrial agriculture model of producing crops and animal products is unsustainable. 

Currently, industrial agriculture occupies about 38% of the planet’s terrestrial surface and uses 70% of our freshwater resources [*]. 

In the 70-80 years since its inception, the industrial model of agriculture has created serious problems relating to soil depletion and air and water pollution due to emissions and fertilizer runoff, toxic algae and fish die-offs, deforestation and species loss, antibiotic resistance, health problems among workers, and fragile supply chains [*,*,*,*,*,*].

Peer-reviewed research suggests that regenerative practices can [*]: 

Increase soil mass (enhancing the volume and weight of soil through enrichment of organic matter and moisture content)

Increase the amount of organic matter in soil 

Improve carbon capture of soil 

Elevate the amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, and sulfur 

Increase water flow 

Raise bacterial biomass and soil health 

Increase plant species diversity and biomass in agricultural areas 

Improve species diversity and richness without increasing pest populations or reducing crop yields. 

Soil health is essential for the continued life of plants, animals, and humans. And regenerative agriculture may be the only approach to food production that seeks to rebuild soil for current and future generations [*].

Regenerative Farming and Climate Change
Prior to the 1950s and 1960s, animals were integrated into crop systems [*]. Corporate interests began to uncouple this traditional farming method and separated animals into feedlots and plants and monocrops. 

The motivation? Greater short-term profits with less reliance on laborers [*]. 

But there were significant consequences — including soil depletion, antibiotic resistance, pollution, runoff, and algae blooms.

Another serious consequence of the current system of monocropping and animal feedlots is that soil is unable to sequester carbon at the same rate as traditional, mixed systems [*]. Soil is the biggest store of carbon on the planet, and soil depletion is a major contributor to increasing CO2 levels [*].

Regenerative agriculture systems, and particularly intensive rotational grazing and other systems of regenerative grazing with cattle and other animals, are significantly better at sequestering carbon [*,*]. 

Evidence also suggests that regenerative systems that allow development of native species alongside crops can sequester more carbon compared to monocrops [*]. 

The Takeaway: How You Can Support Regenerative Agriculture
Centralized, industrial agriculture interests are entrenched and resistant to change — and there’s significant economic and political interests in maintaining the status quo [*].

While some large-scale farmers may want to change, existing economic models make it difficult for them to adopt new methods. Changing land use and learning new skills is challenging in a system that rewards quarterly financial growth and doesn't account for "externalities" like pollution, species loss, greenhouse gasses, and pollution [*].

The continued success and growth of regenerative agriculture relies on support from individuals, including backyard gardeners, consumers, small- and medium-scale farmers, politicians, and policymakers.

If you want to support the success of regenerative agriculture, you can:

Buy food grown using regenerative techniques, and support companies that use these methods

Compost at home

Grow your own food using regenerative methods, even at a small scale

Speak to local farmers or ranchers who engage in sustainable practices

Volunteer your time and skills

Donate to nonprofits that support regenerative agriculture

Invest in companies using sustainable regenerative agriculture methods

Lobby politicians in favor of regenerative policies or engage in activism

Learn about regenerative agriculture or teach others, including taking the permaculture design certification (PDC) course.

Supporting a more decentralized, regenerative food system in whatever ways you can is one of the best ways to increase food security and resiliency for yourself and future generations [*].

Vegetable oils like canola and soybean oil seem to be in everything. But it wasn’t always like this. Read the little-known history of vegetable oils here.

Vegetable Oils: A History of Fats Gone Wrong

Coconut oil is often touted as a superfood, but controversy remains surrounding its impacts on health and the environment.

Coconut Oil: Superfood or Sustainability Issue?

Article at a Glance
Consumer demand for coconut oil has increased by about 10% each year since 2015 thanks to its reputation as a healthy fat [*].
Coconut oil is uniquely high in medium chain triglycerides (MCTs) which have been studied for potential health benefits ranging from fat loss to Alzheimer's disease support.
There are many different methods used to produce coconut oil, and distinct functional differences between refined and unrefined coconut oils.
Scientists have not yet come to a consensus on coconut oil’s health impact and controversy surrounding its nutritional value remains.
The deforestation caused by coconut oil production poses a more severe threat to biodiversity than palm oil production.

Introduction
Whether you’re vegan, keto, paleo, or don’t subscribe to any particular way of eating, coconut oil has likely made it onto your grocery list or into your pantry at some point in the last few years. Its popularity in the U.S. has been steadily increasing by about 10% each year since 2015, but coconut oil is not just a 21st century fad [*]. 
Coconut oil has been used traditionally in tropical regions like India, Malaysia, and West Africa for thousands of years. According to the American Oil Chemists’ Society, European colonists and traders started importing coconut oil to the U.S. and Europe in the late 19th century for use as both a cooking oil and to make goods like soap [*]. Its popularity in the West waned during World War II and didn’t gain traction again until more recently, with the end of the low-fat craze of the 1980’s and 90’s and the increase in research surrounding health-promoting fats. 
Even though coconut oil is often touted as a superfood by consumers today, there is still controversy surrounding its impacts on health and the environment. This article covers some of the facts.
What is Coconut Oil? 
Coconut oil is the buttery fat extracted from the white flesh of the coconut fruit. It has been used for millennia as a cooking oil, a base for soap and shampoo, and for topical applications like moisturizing skin. 
Like butter, coconut oil is solid at room temperature due to a large share of saturated fats. Its high saturated fat content once categorized coconut oil as “too fattening to be healthy,” but more recent research suggests that saturated fat might not be as big of a problem as we once thought [*,*]. Even more research highlights the potential health promoting effects of coconut oil’s high concentration of medium chain triglycerides (MCTs) [*].
MCTs refer to fat molecules (triglycerides: a trio of fatty acids connected by a glycerol backbone) that are made of fatty acids between 6 and 12 carbons in length. The human body is much more efficiently able to use medium chain triglycerides for energy. In comparison to longer chain fats, MCTs are directly absorbed into the bloodstream and shuttled to the liver for energy production, while long chain fats must first bind to transporter molecules and circulate the lymphatic system [*].
Coconut oil begins to melt around 78° Fahrenheit, and is often solid on a pantry shelf. To produce liquid coconut oil, some manufacturers use a process of fractionation to separate the solid fats from the liquid fats, yielding an oil that can remain liquid at colder temperatures. Fractionated coconut oil is tasteless and odorless and most often used for dermatological purposes like moisturizing or as a massage oil [*]. 
Is Coconut Oil a Seed Oil?
Botanically speaking, coconuts are not actually tree nuts like walnuts or almonds. Coconuts are classified as a drupe – a fruit whose seed is enclosed by a hard, stone-like covering [*]. Other drupes include stone fruits like peaches, cherries, and olives. 
Unlike olives, however, whose oil is extracted from the fleshy outer layer surrounding the seed, coconut oil is extracted from within the seed. So, technically, coconut oil could be considered a “seed oil.” 
However, that is where most of its similarities to other industrial seed oils ends. 
For one thing, coconut oil contains very little linoleic acid — the polyunsaturated fat abundant in most conventional seed oils like cottonseed, grapeseed, soybean, and sunflower seed oil [*]. In fact, coconut oil is fairly low in unsaturated fat in general. 
How is Coconut Oil Made?
While all coconut oil comes from the same place, its various extraction methods result in oils with different functional properties. Generally, coconut oils can be differentiated into two categories: unrefined and refined.
Unrefined Coconut Oil
The terms “virgin” and “extra virgin” are not regulated when it comes to coconut oil. At this point, health experts consider unrefined, virgin, and extra virgin coconut oil to be interchangeable terms [*].
Unrefined coconut oil can be made by either first drying out the coconut flesh to what is known as “copra,” or by processing the fresh coconut meat directly in what is known as a “wet” process. Many (but not all) unrefined coconut oils are made using a wet process where the milk and oil are separated from the fibrous coconut meat using centrifugation, fermentation, enzymes or acids without first subjecting the coconut to high heat [*]. Unrefined coconut oil is mechanically extracted from the milk/oil mixture or the dried copra using hydraulic or expeller pressing. Cold-pressed coconut oils refer to those where the temperature was kept below 115° Fahrenheit throughout the extraction process [*].
Because unrefined coconut oil undergoes no further processing, the finished product retains some bioactive compounds like antioxidants as well as a stronger flavor and aroma. This is why unrefined coconut oil will have more of a “coconutty” taste and smell, and also has a lower smoke point than refined coconut oil of about 350° F [*].
Refined Coconut Oil
Refined coconut oil is generally always made using dried copra and is extracted using either mechanical means or with the use of chemical solvents like hexane. Regardless of what method of extraction is used, all refined coconut oils undergo additional processing to remove free fatty acids, flavors, aromas, and other impurities. Various steps in the refinement process include degumming, neutralization, bleaching, and high temperature deodorizing which ultimately reduces the total antioxidant content of refined oil compared to unrefined varieties [*].
Despite reductions in antioxidant concentration, refined coconut oil is generally thought to be better suited for high-heat cooking due to its higher smoke point of 400-450ºF and neutral flavor [*].
Coconut Oil Nutrition
Coconut oil, like all other oils, is 100% fat. Fiber, protein, and many micronutrients like potassium, iron, and magnesium are lost during the extraction process. Both refined and unrefined coconut oils are high in saturated fats and MCTs, which are at the center of controversy surrounding the potential health benefits (or perceived health risks) of the oil. 
Made up of approximately 83% saturated fat, coconut oil is one of the most concentrated sources of saturated fat among cooking oils [*]. Two thirds of the saturated fat in coconut oil is made of medium chain fats, with about 50% coming from lauric acid, a 12-carbon MCT [*].
Many of the health claims made about coconut oil are related to the proposed health benefits of these MCTs. As mentioned earlier, MCT oils are much easier for the human body to absorb and use for energy compared to more common long chain fats. This is particularly useful for individuals following a keto diet where cellular metabolism relies on fat oxidation instead of the breakdown of carbohydrates. Intake of MCT oil has also been associated with increased satiety, energy expenditure, fat loss, increased insulin sensitivity, and improved Alzheimer's outcomes [*,*,*,*,*].
Lauric acid is suggested to have antimicrobial effects, which is why coconut oil is used in the mouth washing practice “oil pulling” [*,*,*]. 
Despite the multitude of proposed benefits, some health experts remain wary of recommending unabandoned consumption of coconut oil because of its high saturated fat content. 
Many animal and human studies conducted over the past several decades have shown that coconut oil intake is associated with an increase in LDL cholesterol, which some researchers believe can increase heart disease risk [*,*,*]. Other studies, however, have found the opposite to be true [*,*].
Many researchers now believe that the susceptibility of LDL particles to oxidation is a more reliable predictor of heart disease than changes in total cholesterol or LDL cholesterol levels [*,*]. This is supported by numerous human clinical trials that demonstrate that increased consumption of high-linoleic vegetable oil increases LDL’s susceptibility to oxidation.
And while the research behind the benefits of MCT oil is promising, the same is not necessarily true for coconut oil [*]. Even though coconut oil contains more MCTs than many other naturally-derived oils, it also contains long chain fats like myristic and palmitic acid, which means that consuming coconut oil is not necessarily the same as consuming 100% MCT oil.
Most researchers seem to agree that more research is still needed to better understand long-term health outcomes associated with coconut oil consumption in humans.
Environmental Impacts of Coconut Oil Production
If you are concerned with the sustainability of food production, you’re likely familiar with the devastating impact of palm oil on both human rights and the environment in Southeast Asia over the past several decades [*]. 
While palm oil and coconut oil are similar (both come from various species of palm trees grown in biodiverse tropical regions), they are not the same. 
For one thing, coconut trees are far less efficient at producing coconut oil than oil palm trees. Palm oil trees are capable of producing 10-15x more oil per hectare than coconut palms, which means more land is required for coconut trees to produce a similar amount of coconut oil [*]. 
While global coconut oil demand still pales in comparison to that of palm oil, the potential for environmental harm is likely greater if coconut oil popularity continues to rise [*]. Per million tons of oil, coconut oil production threatens more total species than palm oil — 18.1 for coconut oil compared to 3.8 for palm oil. This is due, in large part, to deforestation of tropical island forests typically richer in biodiversity than mainland forests where palm oil is most commonly grown [*].
published


Number of species threatened by vegetable oil crops




Though not perfect solutions, Rainforest Alliance Certified coconut oil and Fair Trade Sustainability Alliance certified coconut oil are two better options to seek out. Both ensure that growers maintain sustainable growing practices, provide traceability back to the farms, and do not engage in harmful labor practices [*,*]. 
The Takeaway
Though the science supporting the health benefits of MCT fats is exciting and encouraging, coconut oil as a good source of MCT fats remains controversial. Still, coconut oil is often recommended as an alternative to seed oils due to its low linoleic acid content. Coconut oil quality is not regulated like olive oil, so it can be hard to know exactly how the oil you purchased was made, or where it came from. From an environmental standpoint, coconut oil is more devastating to tropical ecosystems than palm oil, per volume of oil produced. More sustainable options that are Rainforest Alliance Certified or Fair Trade Certified exist, but because it’s grown in biodiverse tropical regions, environmental impacts are largely unavoidable.


Vegetable oils are one of the most consumed foods on the planet; and also some of the worst for the environment.

Environmentally-Friendly Cooking Oils: The Best and Worst Options

Article at a Glance
Most people overlook the environmental impact of cooking oils, which is significant.
The biggest problems with cooking oils include land use, deforestation, chemical runoff, pollution, and emissions.
Each oil has its own unique environmental tradeoffs. For example, palm oil is extremely efficient but results in major deforestation, while sunflower oil has a low carbon footprint but uses a lot of water.
By making careful, well-educated purchasing decisions, you can vote with your dollar to make an immediate impact and also help reform the food system over time.

Introduction
If you look on the back of most packaged foods, or ask how your latest restaurant meal is cooked, it’s likely you’ll find the same thing: vegetable oils. Vegetable oils are everywhere and producing cooking oil is a huge global industry. 
Like any big business, it's industrialized, commodified, and optimized for profit — sometimes at the expense of the environment and sustainability.
In this guide, we'll show you how different cooking oils affect the environment, the factors that make them sustainable (or not), and how you can make better choices that make a real difference.
published


Understanding the Environmental Effects of Vegetable Oils




What Makes Cooking Oil Environmentally Friendly?
Cooking oils are essential commodities. Most of us use them daily, yet it's easy to forget how many different steps those conveniently bottled, transparent liquids undergo before they reach your kitchen.
For the most part, environmentally-friendly cooking oils are the oils that minimize adverse environmental effects at each point of production and distribution, from the land where the crops grow to water use to importing. The environmental impact of each type of cooking oil varies based on each of these factors. 
Here's how oils go from the crop stage to your kitchen:
published


How Vegetable Oil Production Can Affect the Environment




While each step in cooking oil production can potentially result in negative environmental consequences, these are also opportunities to reduce environmental impacts.
How Sustainable Are Common Cooking Oils?
Here's how most cooking oils compare in terms of land use, ecosystem impact, water footprint, pollution, emissions, and energy usage. 
Avocado Oil
Avocado oil is a versatile, high-heat cooking oil that's high in heart-healthy monounsaturated fats, but current avocado production has some serious sustainability problems.
A single avocado requires over 60 gallons of water to produce, and intensive avocado farming in Mexico is now leading to erosion and loss of forest habitats [*,*]. Now, consider that it can take 10 pounds of avocados to produce a standard 16.9oz bottle of avocado oil [*].
Avocados are also associated with higher CO2 emissions than many crops, especially since they often travel significant distances from where they're grown [*].
When possible, buying avocado oil that's organic, fair-trade, and produced in regions near where you live may help mitigate these issues.
Canola Oil 
Canola (rapeseed) is among the most efficient oil crops in terms of water use, and it's also got a favorable yield of cooking oil  [*]. Around 45% of the canola seed consists of oil (fat), which is double that of soybeans [*].
However, canola oil production does have environmental issues, including significant land use, pesticide usage (which appear to be affecting wild bee populations), and the use of large amounts of fertilizers and other chemicals [*,*,*].
Most commercial canola oil is extracted using hexane, an industrial solvent associated with toxicity and air pollution [*]. 
You can avoid some of these issues by buying organic, expeller-pressed canola oil.
Coconut Oil
As a tropical crop, coconuts grow in the most biodiverse regions of the planet, in the tropics near the equator. And unfortunately, coconut oil production has a significant negative impact on biodiversity. 
Even though the overall production of coconut oil is relatively small compared to other cooking oils, it threatens more species per ton of oil produced than any other cooking oil.
According to a study from the University of Exeter, deforestation from coconut oil production affects 20 threatened plant and animal species per million liters of oil produced (compared to olive oil, 4.1 species per million liters, and palm oil, 3.8 species) [*,*].
published


Number of species threatened by vegetable oil crops




You can offset some of the harm of coconut oil production by buying Rainforest Alliance Certified coconut oil [*].
Corn Oil 
Corn is the single biggest agricultural commodity produced in the United States, and it's not considered very sustainable [*].
The vast majority of corn is grown in monocultures that rely heavily on nitrogen, herbicides, pesticides, and industrial farming equipment.
There are plenty of better cooking oil options than corn oil, from a health and a sustainability standpoint, so you might as well skip this option altogether.
Cultured Oil
Cultured Oil is a new type of oil made through fermentation. It was introduced as a viable solution to the environmental problems posed by conventional cooking oils, and it's high in heart-healthy monounsaturated fats and low in inflammatory linoleic acid.
Unlike vegetable oil crops, Cultured Oil can be produced anywhere in the world and therefore results in zero tropical deforestation, with minimal impact on biodiversity.
Furthermore, the sugars used to feed the fermentation of Cultured Oil are never sourced from rainforest regions or equatorial zones (including previously deforested areas).
Before Cultured Oil, palm oil was by far the most productive oil crop, producing 3.6 metric tons of oil per hectare of land. Cultured Oil is as productive as palm oil when it comes to oil yield per acre, but without the negative impact on tropical ecosystems [*].
Compared to the most prevalent vegetable oil in the U.S. (soybean oil), Cultured Oil emits 86% fewer greenhouse gasses, consumes 83% less water, and uses 90% less land [*]. 
And compared to other common vegetable oils like canola oil, sunflower oil, and olive oil, Cultured Oil requires 86-94% less land.
No other oil comes close to Cultured Oil’s small environmental footprint and total impact on biodiversity, land use, greenhouse gas emissions, and water consumption.
Cultured Oil also comes in a 100% recyclable BPA-free aluminum bottle, offering a more sustainable option than plastic or glass [*].
Olive Oil 
Olives are a thirsty crop that typically rely on freshwater irrigation to support oil yield. Without sufficient water, most olive trees produce a low yield, and also result in oil with bitter and unpleasant flavors [*].
Among all food crops, only nuts like almonds require more water than olive oil. In fact, olive oil requires more water per kilogram of food than even beef, eggs, pork, or milk [*].
On the positive side, olive trees are perennials (meaning they don't die off and require replanting each year), so they don't have the same degree of land use or deforestation issues as many other oil crops.
You can reduce the impact of buying olive oil by seeking out organic or pesticide-free olive oil from old-growth trees, which often come from Europe. Older olive trees require less watering and are generally more sustainable.
Just be sure to read the bottles to ensure that your olive oil is coming from a reputable source. Many olive oils are adulterated with cheaper seed oils like soy and canola.
Palm Oil 
Palm oil is by far the most prevalent cooking oil in the world — and its reputation for being environmentally unfriendly is at least partially deserved.
Three years ago, annual global palm oil production reached 72 million tons, which accounts for about a third of all cooking oils produced worldwide each year [*]. 
Like coconuts, oil palms are a tropical crop. The majority of palm oil comes from Indonesia (57%) and Malaysia (27%) [*]. As with coconut oil, the production of palm oil affects tropical regions with high biodiversity.
According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, oil palm expansion has significant negative effects on global biodiversity and affects at least 193 threatened species [*]. 
The adverse environmental effects of palm oil aren't inevitable, but are mainly a result of disregard for ethical land management practices. Another, related reason is the growing demand for palm oil without consumer awareness over environmental impact.
On the positive side, palm oil is the most efficient traditional oil crop, producing 4 times more oil per hectare than sunflowers, over 6 times more oil than soybeans, and 11 times more than olives [*].
The best way to avoid the environmental impacts of palm oil is to look for an environmentally certified product like Sustainable Palm Oil, certified by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm oil (RSPO), or with a certified fair trade logo on the label (FairPalm, Fair for Life, or other organizations).
Peanut Oil
On the whole, peanuts and peanut oil are refreshingly sustainable and environmentally friendly. 
As legumes, peanuts are nitrogen-fixing with the ability to restore depleted soils, and their deep roots (reaching over two meters into the soil) reduce the need for freshwater irrigation [*].
The main downside of peanut oil is its relatively high omega-6 linoleic acid content, which is harmful for health when consumed in excess. 
It's easy to eat too much linoleic acid when you cook with seed oils, so it's probably wise to limit your peanut consumption to snacking on whole peanuts and natural peanut butter, not peanut oil. Peanuts use 17 times less water compared to almonds, so you can feel good about them as an occasional snack.
Sunflower Oil 
Sunflower oil has a relatively low carbon footprint and typically uses lower amounts of herbicides than other oil crops (sunflowers are allelopathic, meaning they naturally kill off competing plants, like weeds) [*].
However, sunflowers use a relatively large amount of water (but still only half as much as olive oil, on average) and are often produced using destructive pesticides [*,*]. 
In addition to its environmental impact, sunflower oil tends to contain higher levels of inflammatory linoleic acid than most other vegetable oils.
Soybean Oil 
Soybean crops are a major cause of deforestation, loss of natural habitats, displacement of small farmers and indigenous peoples, soil erosion and degradation, chemical runoff, and excessive water use [*].
As a legume, soybeans have the potential to restore nitrogen levels in depleted soils, but only as part of responsible land management and regenerative agriculture.
Currently, the most sustainable choice is to avoid soybean oil when possible in favor of more environmentally-friendly cooking oils.
The Takeaway
If you're serious about sustainability, it's time to vote with your dollar and make the right choices when you're shopping for cooking oils.
The good news is that you can consume avocado oil, coconut oil, olive oil, and palm oil in a more environmentally responsible manner. Look for the appropriate certifications and guarantees from credible organizations when you shop for these oils.
Canola, peanut, sunflower, and soybean oil are best to avoid when possible. Each of these seed oils may require you to make compromises on your values surrounding sustainability, health, or both.
The bottom line is that all cooking oils derived from conventional oil crops require you to make compromises.
On the other hand, Cultured Oil, which is made by fermentation, avoids many of the environmental issues associated with oil crop agriculture.
It's a better choice in terms of its land use, water use, emissions, and other criteria we've covered in this article — not to mention its high levels of heart-healthy fats and unmatched culinary performance.
When it comes to choosing more sustainable food options, it’s tough to strive for perfection, but small changes really do make an enormous difference over time.


Avocado oil is one of the trendiest oils to hit the shelves in recent decades whose health halo may be blinding you from considering its environmental impact. 

Is Avocado Oil Good For You? The Science and History Behind the Hype

Article at a Glance
The nutritional value of avocado oil is not as potent as an avocado.
Is avocado oil’s purported smoke point of 520ºF too good to be true?
Upwards of 82% of avocado oils on the market today may be adulterated with cheaper, high-linoleic acid vegetable oils.
Avocado agriculture is responsible for deforestation, destruction of ecosystems, monoculture cropping, and increases in violence in Mexico. 

Introduction
The marketing for avocado oil makes it tempting to believe that it’s a miracle food. High in unsaturated fats, rich in antioxidants, and what seems like an unbeatable smoke point — it’s got to be good for you, right? Rising in popularity right beside avocado toast, it’s hard to believe that edible avocado oil was nothing more than an idea a mere 30 years ago.
Exploding in popularity doesn’t come without its consequences, though, especially when it comes to the environmental impact of keeping up with the appetite of a generation of avocado lovers. It turns out that you may want to think twice about paying a premium for the “green gold” in the name of health and sustainability. Read on to learn why.
What is Avocado Oil?
Avocado oil is produced by extracting the oil from the flesh of the avocado fruit.
Traditional avocado oil production began in the mid-20th century using almost-rotten avocados leftover from harvest and was exclusively used as a cosmetic ingredient unfit for human consumption [*]. Cosmetic avocado oil relies on high temperatures, harsh solvents, chemical bleaching, and refining to produce a stable end product from the degraded fruit, and very little nutritional value remains. 
Starting in the early 2000s, producers in New Zealand turned their attention to a product with more profit potential: “extra-virgin” avocado oil, produced without chemical extraction and with methods inspired by extra virgin olive oil [*]. This cold-pressed version of avocado oil promises to retain many of the characteristics of fresh avocado fruit (flavor, color, and antioxidant properties) that are lost when the oil is refined [*]. 
Because avocados do not fully ripen on the tree, the conditions they endure post-harvest can have a dramatic impact on the overall quality of the oil they produce. And since there aren’t currently standards to differentiate avocado oil of various qualities, it’s tough to tell which oils are better for you. 
Researchers have proposed a grading system to categorize avocado oils similarly to olive oils with extra virgin oils representing those of the highest quality. This system would consider factors like ripeness, degree of damage or rot, extraction techniques, and whether or not chemicals are used in the refining process [*]. But until this system is fully in place, it's impossible to know what quality oil you’re buying at the store.
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avocado oil pros and cons




Avocado Oil Nutrition 
Trader Joe’s points out in their marketing that it takes 10 pounds of avocados to produce one 16.9 oz bottle of oil [*]. Although it may be tempting to think that by using avocado oil, you’re reaping all the nutritional benefits of fresh avocados, that’s not exactly the case.
Avocados have been recognized as a high-fat fruit since ancient times and are sometimes referred to as "vegetable butter" or "butter pears," with the oil of the fruits deemed "green gold" [*]. The flesh of an avocado can contain up to 30% oil depending on its ripeness and season of harvest and also includes a relatively high amount of fiber (about 10 grams per cup of fresh avocado) and a smaller amount of protein (3 grams per cup) [*]. Along with their high fiber content, avocados are also known to provide an array of bioactive antioxidants, which have been studied to have an encouraging effect on human blood sugar stability [*,*,*]. 
Fresh avocados are plentiful in micronutrients as well, supplying ample amounts of vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin K, B-vitamins, magnesium, copper, and potassium in every cup. However, these nutrients are lost in the extraction and processing of oil [*,*].
Avocado oil, on the other hand, is 100% fat. To produce it, all the fiber and protein is separated from the oil, seed, and skin [*]. The majority of the antioxidant and bioactive compounds in avocados are fat-soluble, meaning that with mechanical extraction (without high temperatures and chemical solvents), the tocopherols, chlorophylls, and carotenoids (like lutein) do end up in the final edible oil product as long as it isn't harshly refined. However, the quality and origin of the fruit used to make the oil matter as well [*,*,*]. 
Avocado Oil Fatty Acid Makeup
Avocado oil is pressed from the flesh of the fruit, not the seed or the skin, and is therefore not necessarily considered a “seed oil,” like other vegetable oils (grapeseed, canola, soybean, etc.) [*]. 
The fatty acid composition of avocado oil depends on the fatty acid composition of the flesh of the avocado fruit. As avocados grow and mature, their fatty acid composition changes, favoring an increase in monounsaturated fat — from 30% to about 50%, and a decrease in polyunsaturated linoleic acid — down from 60% to about 12% on average over the course of four months [*]. Part of what makes cold-pressed avocado oil so appealing to health experts is its abundance of monounsaturated fat , which promises health benefits comparable to olive oil [*]. 
Other fatty acids in avocado remain relatively stable across the growth and maturing process. Palmitic acid (a saturated fatty acid) is the second-most abundant fatty acid in avocado and avocado oil, respectively, with concentrations ranging from ~10-28% [*,*].
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Avocado oil fatty acid makeup




Because the linoleic acid content of avocado oil varies so much across its stages of maturity and region of production, it is possible to wind up with a product that has upwards of 20% linoleic acid, which is roughly the same as canola oil [*,*]. 
This becomes problematic when you consider that linoleic acid is one of the most abundant fatty acids in the food supply today, is exponentially increasing in prevalence, and has been implicated in a wide array of health issues across the globe [*,*,*,*,*,*,*,*]. 
While avocado oil is still preferable to use as a cooking oil compared to other vegetable oils like soybean or safflower in terms of its generally lower linoleic acid content, the profusion of vegetable oils in our food supply means that every gram counts — especially when not in whole food form where the relative concentration of linoleic acid is lower, and some of the naturally-occurring fibers may help temper fatty acid absorption [*]. 
Avocado Oil Smoke Point
One of avocado oil’s biggest selling points, and most dramatic point of differentiation between olive oil, is its higher smoke point. 
The smoke point of any oil is the point at which fatty acids start to break down and produce oxidized byproducts and free radicals [*]. Oils smoke when they get too hot, an experience you may be familiar with if you’ve left your pan unattended for too long at the stovetop. 
While you probably cook at temperatures ranging from 300-400 degrees Fahrenheit when cooking using medium heat on a stovetop or deep frying, it’s possible to reach temperatures as high as 600 degrees when searing meat or sautéeing veggies [*,*]. 
Many avocado oils claim an outrageously high smoke point of 520 degrees, making them appealing for chefs and home cooks who don't want to worry about unwanted oxidized byproducts or off flavors in their dishes. This is a far cry from extra virgin olive oil,  which smokes at the low temperatures of 325-375 degrees Fahrenheit.
But according to the scientific literature, the highest cited smoke point for avocado oil is 482 degrees Fahrenheit [*,*,*]. In order to have a smoke point of 520 degrees Fahrenheit, an oil would have to have a free fatty acid concentration of almost zero, which is usually not possible in commercial practice. And it’s especially not true for extra virgin avocado oils, which are unrefined and less shelf stable [*]. Chosen Foods points out that virgin avocado oil will smoke at 350-375 degrees, which is very similar to olive oil [*].
Is Avocado Oil Healthy?
Avocado oil has the potential to contribute positive benefits to overall health through high concentrations of unsaturated fatty acids, polyphenols, and antioxidants. It's also been studied to improve health outcomes in experimental settings [*,*]. However, life exists outside the lab, and the true health effects of singular foods are almost impossible to isolate.
For one thing, it’s impossible to completely avoid potentially harmful linoleic acid in avocado oil, which has been connected in literature to health issues from diabetes, to osteoarthritis, autoimmune diseases and more [*,*,*,*,*,*,*]. Depending on the overall linoleic acid concentration in the rest of your diet, avocado oil may tip the scales towards an unfavorable ratio of linoleic acid, which could be avoided by replacing avocado oil with a lower-linoleic acid cooking oil like Cultured Oil.
Then there’s the issue of avocado oil adulteration and mislabeling. A recent study from UC Davis — the first to look into avocado oil adulteration — found that upwards of 82% of avocado oil samples purchased online and in store were rancid or mixed with other oils like soybean, safflower, or sunflower oil [*]. Shockingly, the study found that in three cases, bottles labeled “pure” or “extra virgin” avocado oil contained almost 100% soybean oil — a much cheaper oil with a far inferior nutritional profile compared to avocado oil [*].
Professor Selina Wang, one of the lead authors in this study, presented at the 2022 Future of Fat summit and highlighted the adulteration of avocado oil and other high-value oils in depth.

Whether or not avocado oil is healthy for you will likely depend on the rest of your diet and lifestyle overall, and whether the bottle of oil you’re using is even avocado oil at all.
Avocado Oil Taste 
Tastewise, unrefined (virgin and extra virgin) avocado oils retain the flavor of fresh avocados, which experts often describe as “mushroomy,” or “rich and nutty” [*]. The more refined and processed the oil is, the more neutral it will taste — unfortunately, at the expense of its nutritional benefits. 
To highlight the flavor of extra virgin avocado oil, culinary pros recommend reserving its use for drizzling and finishing, similar to how they recommend using olive oil, while they recommend refined avocado oil for cooking applications [*].
It’s important to consider the tradeoffs here. While unrefined, extra virgin olive oil retains the most nutritional benefit, it offers the least versatility in terms of flavor and culinary application. Refined avocado oil, on the other hand, is more neutral in flavor and suitable for high-heat cooking, but is produced using a harsh chemical process that reduces the antioxidant content of the final product [*]. 
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refined vs unrefined avocado oil




Avocado Oil and Sustainability
To understand the impact of avocado oil on the environment, we need to take a critical look at avocado agriculture as it exists today. Avocado oil is generally produced from “reject-grade” avocados that are unsuitable for export as whole fruit. In other words, they might have deformities or imperfections that are unappealing to customers [*,*]. 
This production model increases profitability for farmers who may not have otherwise been able to sell the "rejected" fruits and increases yield efficiency from a grower's perspective. However, these two "silver linings" may not be enough to rescue avocado oil from its overall hefty impact on farm workers and the environment. 
As avocados and avocado oil have skyrocketed in popularity in countries like the U.S., pressure to cultivate and export the profitable avocado has threatened to turn avocado agriculture into something that looks and feels all too similar to the now infamous palm oil industry in Indonesia. 
To keep up with rising avocado demand, existing forests in Central and South America are being cleared at an alarming rate to make way for the water-intensive monocrop, threatening existing biodiversity and straining the ability of our planet to offset greenhouse gas emissions [*]. 
The vast majority of avocados grown are of the Hass variety, which have thick skins and are easy to transport [*]. Unfortunately, relying on a single variety of avocado to supply the world’s cravings increases the risk that a disease outbreak could be catastrophic to the supply chain. 
Not to mention, monoculture like this is notorious for depleting soil fertility, threatening plant growth long term, and leading to the overuse of chemical fertilizers and pesticides [*].
Mexico is currently the leading producer of avocados globally, and working conditions for farmers here are increasingly horrific [*]. Mexican cartels have turned their attention to avocado agriculture for profit, and have been seizing farms and burning protected woodlands to plan their own groves of avocado trees, violently contributing to increasing homicide rates and climate change [*,*]. 
Avocado trees are temperamental plants that are sensitive to climate shifts and require irrigation in order to produce a reliable yield. In Mexico alone, it’s estimated that around 9.5 billion liters of water are used in irrigation daily for growing avocados, equivalent to 3,800 Olympic pools [*,*]. 
Up to 320 liters of water are needed to produce one avocado alone in particularly dry climates like Chile [*]. All of this irrigation places extreme pressure on existing aquifers in Mexico, and has opened up subsoil caverns experts believe are leading to increases in seismic movements (small earthquakes) in avocado-producing regions [*]. 
While cold-pressed avocado oil is more nutrient dense, it also produces a vast amount of hard-to-rescue waste from the unused seeds, skins, and fibers that are leftover after the oil is extracted. Mechanical extraction techniques used to produce extra virgin avocado oils are relatively inefficient compared to traditional solvent extraction methods, with only 30-80% of the oil recovered in mechanical and centrifugation systems compared to 60-90% in solvent systems [*]. 
Let’s say avocados are, on-average, 14% fat. For the 10 pounds of avocados required to produce a single bottle of Trader Joe’s avocado oil [*], 1.4 pounds are fat. Of this total amount of available fat, only 30-80% is extracted, leaving 8.9 to 9.6 pounds of waste behind that is most likely siphoned off for use in factory farm animal feed [*].
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Waste from avocado oil




The Takeaway
Avocado agriculture needs an intervention. The current practices of deforestation and monoculture farming are unsustainable and threatening to the future of both the supply chain and our planet. What’s more, avocado oil production contributes to a waste stream that fuels our reliance on factory farms for animal meat.
While on the surface, avocado oil appears to be a decent nutritional alternative to other vegetable oils high in unfavorable fatty acids, it runs a high risk of being diluted with cheap vegetable oils due to surging demand and lack of regulation. While avocado companies will tempt you with high smoke point promises, unrefined and cold-pressed avocado oil with the most nutritional benefit does not deliver this. 
If you want to harness the health benefits of avocado, you’re better off sticking to the whole fruit which also provides some fiber and an array of vitamins and minerals along with the healthy fats, and leave the oil to us.


The launch of Zero Acre oil marks our first step toward displacing vegetable oils. There no longer needs to be a tradeoff between health, sustainability, and culinary performance.

The Purpose and Plan Behind Zero Acre Oil

Zero Acre oil has a low environmental impact and offers a scalable solution to the massive problems caused by vegetable oils.

Zero Acre Oil Sustainability Report

Zero Acre oil Sustainability Report

Olive oil needs no introduction, but perhaps, it’s time to rethink the role of olive oil in your diet and how its production impacts the environment.

Olive Oil: Good for You or Too Good to be True?

Article at a Glance 
After years of hearing about the health benefits of olive oil, is it time to rethink its role in your diet and how olive oil production affects the environment?
Although olive oil is known for containing healthy monounsaturated fats, its inflammatory omega-6 fat content can reach levels as high as 27%.
If any heat or chemical treatment is used to extract or refine olive oil, it is no longer considered “virgin” and cannot legally be labeled as such.
Many olive oils are old, oxidized, and are even adulterated with damaging seed oils like soy and canola oil. 

Introduction
Olive oil probably feels like one of those foods that needs no introduction. If you’re in the U.S., Canada, or Europe, you’re likely familiar with olive oil thanks to the buzz around the benefits of the Mediterranean diet, which features olive oil as its shining star. Indeed, olive oil has been a cornerstone of Mediterranean culture for thousands of years, though not always at the center of its diet. 
Once an exclusive symbol of wealth reserved for only the most noble, today, olive oil is as commonplace in the global supermarket as butter. But after years of hearing about the health benefits of olive oil, is it time to rethink its role in your diet and how olive oil production affects the environment? Read on for the full story.  
What is Olive Oil?
Olive oil is harvested from olive fruits, grown from olive trees concentrated mainly in Greece and Italy, though not exclusively.
Unlike many other culinary seed oils like canola or soybean, olive oil does not require chemical solvents to harvest. Instead, traditional virgin olive oil production relies on high-pressure pressing and centrifugation to draw out the oil from the fleshy fruit — the benefit of which is that many of the nutrients and active compounds within the olive remain undamaged and make it to the final oil product. 
These traditional methods are what most manufacturers use to make "virgin" and "extra virgin" olive oils. However, if any heat or chemical treatment is used to extract or refine the oil, it is no longer considered virgin and cannot legally be labeled as such. 
Olive Oil Nutrition
You likely think of olive oil as one of the healthier fats available. But is olive oil really the nutrition powerhouse magazines and cookbooks make it out to be? 
Like all other household oils, olive oil is 100% fat — providing 9 Calories per gram, and about 120 Calories per tablespoon — or 240 Calories per two tablespoon “glug” most commonly used in cooking. Compare that to fresh whole olives, which contribute 6 kilocalories per olive, and also contain some fiber. For context, you’d have to eat 22 olives to get the total amount of fat in just one tablespoon of olive oil.
Olive oil rose to fame in recent decades as our collective attention turned to fighting heart disease by distancing ourselves from saturated fats, and we replaced butter and lard with oils that remained liquid at room temperature (a feature of most unsaturated fats). 
But the conversation doesn’t end there. 
All fat molecules — both saturated and unsaturated — are made up of various combinations of three different fatty acids. It turns out that the type and combination of these different fatty acids can make a huge difference in how the body uses and processes each fat. 
For one thing, emerging evidence reveals that linoleic acid, the most prominent unsaturated fatty acid in seed oils like soybean and safflower, plays a role in increasing the risk for heart disease by oxidizing LDL cholesterol particles. Meanwhile other unsaturated fats — namely monounsaturated fats — are widely thought to have the opposite effect on our overall heart health [*,*,*].
We’ll talk more about the specific fatty acid makeup of olive oil in a bit, but suffice it to say that answering the question of whether or not olive oil is a healthy fat is a bit more complicated than saturated vs. unsaturated fat politics. 
Another primary reason extra virgin olive oil has been touted as a superfood is the presence of polyphenols, plant-derived antioxidant molecules that occur naturally in olives (and many other plant foods). Polyphenols have been shown to provide a range of positive health effects when consumed — from reduced cancer risk, to better brain health and lower inflammation [*]. 
It’s worth emphasizing that these polyphenol benefits are unique to olive oil that has not been refined chemically or damaged by processing. Storage and shelf life are also relevant when it comes to polyphenol activity and antioxidant capacity, and olive oil is not immune to oxidation and rancidity. 
Light, heat, and time can take a bottle of high-quality extra virgin olive oil from brimming with antioxidants to devoid of any polyphenol benefit, so it's crucial to not only find the highest quality extra virgin olive oil but also to use what you have quickly and store it in a cool, dark, dry place [*].
Olive Oil Fatty Acid Makeup
When it comes to the specifics of olive oil’s fat profile, monounsaturated fat is the most abundant, ranging from 55-85% of the total fat content [*]. Monounsaturated fat is responsible for many of the well-touted health benefits marketed on bottles of olive oil and by proponents of the Mediterranean diet — from reducing inflammation to preventing cancer [*,*]. 
But monounsaturated fat isn’t the only type of fat in olive oil. Linoleic acid, the omega-6 fatty acid linked to some of the most common health issues associated with inflammation, can range in prevalence from 3-27%, depending on the variety [*,*].
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linoleic acid content of liquid oils




The fatty acid makeup of olive oil depends on factors related to where it is cultivated, like latitude, climate, and variety of olive used. Olive oils with the highest percentage of monounsaturated fat tend to be from the Mediterranean regions, while Tunisian olive oils are higher in linoleic and palmitic acids, for example [*]. 
As a consumer, it’s difficult to know what the exact fatty acid ratios are in the bottle you pick up from your local grocer. This is especially problematic for the more affordable olive oil “blends” that may tout the health benefits exclusive to monounsaturated fat, yet may be serving up more linoleic acid, and its associated health risks.
Linoleic acid is exponentially increasing in prevalence in the standard western diet, thanks to its abundance in cheap oils like soybean and safflower, which are now used in everything from salad dressings, to crackers, to granola bars, and more [*]. 
An increasing array of studies have suggested that excessive consumption of linoleic acid may be partly to blame for a whole host of health issues — from diabetes, osteoarthritis, dementia, irritable bowel syndrome, asthma, autoimmune diseases, and rising obesity rates across the globe [*,*,*,*,*,*,*].
One randomized controlled study in Asian Indian males with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease found that replacing high-linoleic acid soybean/safflower oil with lower-linoleic acid olive oil in the diet led to a significant decrease in weight and BMI after 6 months, as well as a significant decrease in fasting insulin [*].
In another randomized controlled trial, 41 women with excess body fat were given a daily high-fat meal that contained either high-linoleic soybean oil or lower-linoleic olive oil. After 9 weeks, body fat loss was 80% greater in the group that consumed less linoleic acid [*].  
While this is certainly encouraging news for olive oil, we’re left to wonder whether even more beneficial outcomes are to be had by increasing the consumption of oils with even less linoleic acid than olive oil.

Olive Oil Adulteration
As previously mentioned, the quality, and associated health benefits, of olive oil has a lot to do with where it’s grown and how it’s produced. Mediterranean olive oils, particularly Italian and Greek, are some that have been shown to have lower amounts of linoleic acid, and assumedly more significant health benefits.
Unfortunately, due to increasing demand and reduced outputs in these regions, the risk of olive oil adulteration is real. Investigative journalist Tom Mueller pointed out in a recently published deep-dive that “faking” olive oil is surprisingly easy, and up to 75-80% of Extra Virgin Olive Oils in the U.S. may be fraudulent [*]. 
Fraudulent or adulterated oils are considered non-virgin olive oils that are packaged and sold as Extra Virgin, or where the country of origin labeling is counterfeited. As recently as 2020, the American Botanical Council of the U.S. found that adulteration of olive oil is still rampant thanks to low availability of high-quality olive oil in the midst of raging demand [*].
While not necessarily "fraudulent," olive oil blends are also increasingly common — particularly in the food industry, where there is increased pressure to keep costs as low as possible [*]. 
Because there is not a standard definition of what makes an olive oil “blend” you could be served anything from a blend that’s 50% olive oil, to a blend that’s only 10% olive oil mixed with high-linoleic soybean, canola, safflower or grapeseed oil — all while being led to believe you’re getting the real deal [*]. 
Olive Oil Smoke Point 
What about olive oil’s culinary versatility?
If you’re unfamiliar with oil smoke points, your kitchen smoke alarm may quickly familiarize you. You’ve likely encountered the concept of a smoke point at one time or another while learning to cook, and realized that there is such a thing as letting your pan get too hot. Most people will cook at temperatures ranging from 300-400 degrees Fahrenheit when cooking using medium heat on a stovetop [*].
Oils will start to break down and smoke at different temperatures, depending on the stability and heat tolerance of the oil — two factors largely determined by fatty acid content. Once an oil starts to smoke, both flavor and nutritional quality are past the point of degradation [*].
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The Smoke Point of Cooking Oils




The bad news? Olive oil has one of the lowest smoke points of most readily-available cooking oils [*], which is why most culinary advice suggests that olive oil be reserved for cold or room-temperature applications like dressings and finishing, which will help preserve all of the potential nutritional benefits and decrease the accumulation of oxidized byproducts in your dish.
Speaking of oxidation, there’s evidence that oxidative stability is perhaps even more important than smoke point when it comes to the healthfulness of cooking with different oils.
Oxidation refers to the biochemical process where molecules like fatty acids lose an electron and become more unstable and unpredictable in their environment as “free radicals.” In your body, this leads to cellular damage, increased risk for DNA alterations, and other inflammatory illnesses [*].
Compared to monounsaturated fats, polyunsaturated fats like the Omega-6 linoleic acid are much more likely to oxidize and create free radicals, especially when used in applications like deep frying (where you are most likely to encounter them in a restaurant setting) [*].
While the high monounsaturated fat content and polyphenol antioxidants in olive oil help protect it from oxidation, olive oil's moderate linoleic acid content means it is still somewhat oxidatively unstable compared to low linoleic fats, and is likely to form free radicals if used haphazardly in cooking at high temperatures.
Olive Oil Taste
Tastewise, olive oil is widely known for its unique and grassy flavor attributed to the array of volatile components that correlate with its polyphenol content [*]. 
While this may be an appealing characteristic if you’re looking to highlight olive oil’s delicate aroma, it also makes for a less versatile oil when a more neutral flavor may be desired, like home-made mayo or in baked goods.
What’s more, olive oil’s aromatic compounds are unstable and likely to degrade via oxidation, leading to an increased risk for off-flavors if stored improperly [*]. Here is the gap that many seed oils, unfortunately, seek to fill — serving as neutral cooking oils with higher smoke points yet contributing excessive levels of linoleic acid in your diet.
Olive Oil Sustainability
Where olive oil edges out other oils in terms of nutritional prowess, it definitely falls to the back of the pack in terms of environmental impact. 
Like coconut, palm, and palm kernel oil, olive oil is grown by planting trees that have to fully mature before they can produce useful fruit [*]. A massive amount of total inputs are required to cultivate these trees, which places a huge burden on the surrounding environment. Compared to palm oil, olive oil’s production volume is relatively small but requires at least 7.25 fold more land resources per ton of oil [*].
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Land use per tonne of vegetable oil

One of these land resources is water. The water footprint of olive oil is immense in comparison to other vegetable oils, second only to sesame oil [*]. Per ton of final product, olive oil requires 112% more water than shelled almonds which are notorious for water greed in the agriculture world [*]. 
Because olives are at most 20% fat, and production is done using inefficient pressure and centrifugation methods, extracting oil from them contributes to a large amount of waste that experts are still trying to determine the best way to use [*]. Every ton of olive oil produces four tons of waste that is most often used as animal feed, contributing to the continuation of unsustainable forms of factory farm animal agriculture [*].
Beyond inputs, olive oil threatens surrounding plant and animal species. In fact, olive oil threatens more species per ton of oil produced than any other vegetable oil, aside from coconut oil [*]. 

For example, the traditional nocturnal harvesting of olives in Spanish Andalucia is responsible for killing 2.6 million nesting birds annually — a far cry from the pretty picture oil manufacturers paint for us on their colorful and nostalgic packaging [*].
All told, olive oil production leaves a larger carbon footprint than other oils — emitting more than 4.5x the greenhouse gasses per kilogram compared to peanut oil [*]. 
Upwards of 24 lbs of olives (roughly 5,000 whole olives) are required to produce one singular liter of high-quality extra virgin olive oil [*]. With this yield, a mature olive tree can only produce a maximum of three or four liters of oil per year [*].
This is not sustainable.
Is Olive Oil a Seed Oil?
No — olive oil is considered a fruit oil or vegetable oil because it’s harvested from the fleshy fruit of the olive. Typically, the pits or “seeds” of olives are removed before the oil is harvested in order to keep the oil pure and of high quality. 
While all seed oils are considered vegetable oils, not all vegetable oils are derived from seeds and, therefore, not categorized as seed oils. Still, some olive oil varieties can contain over 20% linoleic acid — about the level of linoleic acid found in canola oil [*]. This is particularly concerning in the context of modern diets which already contain unprecedented levels of linoleic acid due to the widespread use of seed oils in restaurants and packaged foods.
But Haven’t We Been Eating Olive Oil for Thousands of Years?
While olive oil has indeed been produced for thousands of years as a staple product of ancient civilizations where olive trees originate, historians agree that this olive oil was likely primarily used for lamps, as well as for hair, skin, and medicinal use — and explicitly not used for common consumption [*].
A quote attributed to Socrates illustrates this point (bolding added) [*]: 
“I may instance olive oil, which is mischievous to all plants, and generally most injurious to the hair of every animal with the exception of man, but beneficial to human hair and to the human body generally; and even in this application (so various and changeable is the nature of the benefit), that which is the greatest good to the outward parts of a man, is a very great evil to his inward parts: and for this reason physicians always forbid their patients the use of [olive] oil in their food, except in very small quantities, just enough to extinguish the disagreeable sensation of smell in meats and sauces.”
Even though olive oil was not used for common culinary purposes until much more recently, with a resurgence during the renaissance of the 13th and 14th centuries AD, it was certainly highly valued in ancient Mediterranean society.
In fact, olive oil was used as the original fuel for the torch of the Greek Olympic games, and it’s believed that athletes massaged themselves in olive oil before competition to make it harder for opponents to grab them [*]. 
The Takeaway
Compared to cheaper and more widely available seed oils, high-quality, cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil is overall one of the healthiest available options you can find on store shelves today — if you can trust that it’s not counterfeit, isn’t a seed/olive oil blend, has not been left to oxidize in the light or heat, and isn’t improperly used to cook at high temperatures. 
Health and nutrition aside, olive oil is far from the best option from a sustainability standpoint. With so many inputs required to produce a single bottle, we’re putting our planet at risk by prioritizing it as our go-to cooking oil.
It’s time for a real solution. By harnessing the power of fermentation, we’re introducing an oil that provides all the health benefits of the highest-quality olive oil without concern that you’re unwittingly consuming a risky ratio of fatty acids or that your bottle is filled with adulterated, cheaper oils. Each bottle of Cultured Oil is linked to a single origin of production, and we invite you to scan the QR code on the bottle to look up its unique fatty acid composition. 
Finally, you’ll be able to prioritize your personal health without sacrificing the health of the planet. 


Zero Acre Farms is on a mission to remove destructive vegetable oils from the food system. Learn how vegetable oils are at the center of disease and environmental destruction, and how we plan to change that using the ancient art of fermentation.