Carbon Footprint of Peanut Butter Measured: How Much CO2 Does Peanut Butter Cause?

The carbon footprint of cottonseed oil is not currently published by Carbon Cloud, but the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE) reports that cottonseed offers up to an 83% reduction in environmental impact compared to other cooking oils (soybean, palm, canola).²

Note that in addition to its much larger carbon footprint, palm oil is also a huge environmental problem for other reasons.

The use of palm oil contributes heavily to tropical deforestation and habitat loss, largely impacting endangered species such as elephants and rhinoceroses. Products with palm oil should be avoided.²⁸

Emulsifiers

Emulsifiers are the primary binding agents in peanut butter, preventing the oils from separating from the peanuts. Emulsifiers, such as soy lecithin, monoglycerides, and diglycerides, are generally not included in “natural” peanut butters, resulting in separation of the ingredients and requiring stirring to remix before use.

Below are Carbon Cloud’s estimates of the carbon footprint of these emulsifiers:

• Soy Lecithin: 1.82 kg of CO₂e per kg²⁴
• Mono- and Diglycerides: 4.47 kg CO₂e per kg⁵

Salt

Salt is a major ingredient in peanut butter and is the only ingredient besides peanuts included in many natural peanut butter pastes. Fortunately, salt has a very small carbon footprint at only 0.06 kg of CO₂e per kg of salt.²²

Molasses

Most peanut butter formulas do not include molasses, but JIF, the country’s most popular peanut butter brand does reportedly use small amounts of molasses in their recipe in addition to other sugars. Molasses may be used in place of high-fructose corn syrup in their recipe. According to Carbon Cloud, the carbon footprint of sugar cane molasses is approximately 0.08 kg of CO₂e per kg of molasses.²⁵

The Carbon Footprint of Natural Peanut Butter

Most people have seen natural peanut butter on grocery store shelves, so what is it?

Natural peanut butter is a simplified nut butter recipe that is made from only peanuts and sometimes salt. Because it does not include added oils and binding agents, the natural oils will separate from the paste and require stirring before use.

Per Carbon Cloud, the carbon footprint of Smucker’s natural peanut butter is 2.39 kg of CO₂e per kg of peanut butter, with 38% of this attributable to agriculture and 52% to packaging.⁷

The Carbon Footprint of Organic Peanut Butter

Sometimes the terms “organic” and “natural” are used interchangeably, but they represent different things.

Organic peanut butter is made from peanuts that are grown without synthetic chemicals, including herbicides, fertilizers, and pesticides.³

The carbon footprint of organic peanut butter depends on several things.

(Image: Devi Puspita Amartha Yahya³⁹)

Firstly, the composition of organic is important because every added ingredient will likely add to the CO₂e emissions.

Secondly, packaging makes a huge difference. If the organic peanut butter is packaged in non-sustainable plastic tubs, like conventional peanut butter, it is unlikely to demonstrate large gains.

Carbon Cloud estimates the carbon footprint of Costco’s organic creamy peanut butter at 2.39 kg CO₂e per kg of nut butter, and the packaging accounts for over half of these emissions.⁶

What Is a Carbon Footprint?

Carbon footprint calculation is used to determine the total amount of greenhouse gases (GHGs) emitted by a specific source.

But what is a carbon footprint exactly?

A carbon footprint is a numerical representation of an entity’s environmental impact, measured by summing up the total carbon dioxide equivalent (CO₂e) emissions that source generates. The entity in question can be a person, a pet, a corporation, an activity (Ex. driving), a product (Ex. iPhone), and even a food item (Ex. peanut butter).

Every single thing on the earth has a carbon footprint (see “Carbon Footprint Factsheet”),³⁵ and the amount of GHGs a source generates contributes directly to global warming.

Given the ongoing global warming crisis, it is very important for everyone to understand the basics of climate change and how individual actions contribute to a worldwide dilemma.³⁶ The Household Carbon Footprint Calculator is a useful tool for individuals looking to examine their personal impact on global warming.³⁷

While it is absolutely imperative that international governments and organizations investigate and address the growing carbon footprints of countries, industries, and so forth, it is also incredibly useful for companies and individuals to take a look at the carbon footprint of various products.

Product life cycle analysis is the preferred approach for understanding the total emissions generated by a product from pre-production to post-consumption.

A comprehensive life cycle analysis (LCA) looks at all three scopes of CO₂e emissions (see EPA’s “Scope 1 and Scope 2 Inventory Guidance” and “Scope 3 Inventory Guidance”).^32,33

Scope 1 emissions are caused directly by the company such as when fuel is burned in gas or diesel-powered vehicles or when coal is burned for furnaces. Scope 2 emissions are indirectly caused by the company through their purchase of electricity from a third party source.

Scope 3 emissions, also known as value chain emissions, are the emissions that result from upstream and downstream activities related to the product.

Upstream activities for peanut butter would include things like salt mining and peanut growing. Downstream activities would include retail of peanut butter and disposal of plastic containers.

All of these components combine to produce a complete picture of the product’s carbon footprint.

Peanut Butter Benefits

There are many benefits to peanut butter which make it one of the most popular food staples in American homes.

In fact, it is estimated that the U.S. citizens consume approximately 4.25 pounds of peanut butter per year on average.²¹

These are some of the peanut butter benefits of note:^{14, 15, 30}

• Health benefits. Peanuts contain many important vitamins and minerals and are also full of fiber and healthy fats that may reduce the risk of heart disease. Peanut butter is also a good source of protein.
• Relatively inexpensive. Compared to most true nuts, peanuts are quite affordable.
• Long shelf life. A jar of peanut butter can maintain its freshness for up to 9 months unopened on a shelf and up to 6 months open in a refrigerator.
• Kids love it. Children, who are picky eaters as a rule, often enjoy peanut butter. This makes peanut butter a great option for parents who struggle to get their kids to eat meat and other protein sources.
• Fits many diets. Peanut butter is gluten-free and animal by-product-free, making it an option for individuals who are vegetarian or vegan.
• Versatile. Peanut butter can be eaten in pretty much any way imaginable. It can be eaten by itself or used as a dip for fruits and vegetables. It can be spread on bread for sandwiches and is even used in desserts!
• Easier on the environment. Peanuts are much less water-intensive than other nuts to grow. And peanut butter is much less carbon intensive to produce than animal-derived protein sources.
• Convenient. A peanut butter snack or treat can be made in minutes. It is easy to pack on trips and does not require refrigeration

Tips on How To Make Peanut Butter at Home

Making peanut butter at home can greatly reduce its carbon footprint by eliminating the processing phase of peanut butter and avoiding the plastic tubs that peanut butter usually comes in. There is also the assurance of no added ingredients.

Wonderfully, homemade peanut butter is not difficult to make. These are some quick tips for how to make peanut butter at home:²⁷

• Choose the peanuts: Peanuts can be purchased still in shell, shelled and raw, or shelled and dry roasted. Shelling and roasting at home will reduce the carbon footprint of the end product but increase the time investment of homemade peanut butter.
• Shell, if needed: When removing shells, be sure to also remove any bad peanuts from the batch. Bad peanuts may be shriveled, moldy, or have dark spots.
• Roast, if needed: Add the nuts to a preheated skillet and toast over medium heat on the stovetop. Stir regularly until golden brown.
• Add to the food processor: Plan to add two cups of peanuts for every desired cup of nut butter.
• Blend: The food processor does the rest of the work, and after about 5 minutes, the peanut butter spread will be fairly creamy. Once the peanut butter is blended, add some additional flavor, or don’t!
  A teaspoon of salt goes a long way in flavoring, but some people may want to add sweeteners or other spices, as well. Add a teaspoon of oil, as needed, to thin out the butter.

Homemade peanut butter can be stored in a sealed container for up to 6 months and longer in the refrigerator.²⁷

(Image: The Design Lady⁴⁰)

Peanut butter has been analyzed by experts in the field to determine its environmental impact, and these results have illustrated that the processing stage of peanut butter’s life cycle, including packaging, generates the most emissions.

Peanut butter is an environmentally-friendly protein source, relative to meats and cheese.

With more eco-friendly packaging options, the carbon footprint of peanut butter could be significantly reduced, making it a highly sustainable long-term food option.

Frequently Asked Questions About the Carbon Footprint of Peanut Butter