What Is the Carbon Footprint of Chili Peppers? A Life-Cycle Analysis
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Chili peppers were one of the first domesticated plants, farmed 6,000 years ago in Peru and Mexico. Since then, this spicy crop has found its way into many popular dishes, from Japanese ramens and Mexican burritos, to condiments like hot sauce. Yet, much less is shared about the environmental impact, and especially the carbon emissions of chili peppers. So we had to ask: What is the carbon footprint of chili peppers?
Chili peppers have a relatively high carbon footprint of 0.73 kg (1.6 lbs) of CO2e per pound of produce, making it one of the highest carbon-emitting vegetables. Nearly 80% of the CO2e is produced in the growing stage, due to land usage, a long growing period, and the high maintenance required.
In this article, we’ll walk you through the overall carbon emissions of the life-cycle of chili peppers. From growing and packaging, to transporting and end-of-life practices, you will learn how this vegetable affects the planet and discover some ways to reduce and offset the footprint.
Here’s How We Assessed the Carbon Footprint of Chili Peppers
The carbon footprint is one of the ways we measure the effects of our human-induced global climate change. It primarily focuses on the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with consumption, but also includes other emissions such as methane (CH4), nitrous oxide, and chlorofluorocarbons, and is generally expressed in carbon dioxide equivalents (CO2e).
“Carbon footprint: the amount of greenhouse gases and specifically carbon dioxide emitted by something (such as a person’s activities or a product’s manufacture and transport) during a given period”
Merriam Webster
Basically, it is the amount of carbon emitted by you as an individual or an organization providing you with goods and services – including chili peppers:
- This includes GHG emissions from producing the products that we use and foods that we eat (e.g., power plants, factories or farms, and landfills)
- GHG emissions from fuel that we burn directly or indirectly (e.g., logistics and transportation, cooling or heating facilities),
- as well as the GHG emissions attributed to how we consume these products and foods.
To understand the carbon footprint of chili peppers, we must assess its life-cycle and each stage’s sustainability. This life-cycle assessment (LCA) is a method to evaluate the environmental impacts of products and materials.
Here’s the Overall Carbon Footprint of Chili Peppers
The overall carbon footprint of chili peppers is 0.73 kg (1.6 lbs) of CO2e per pound of produce, which is relatively high for crops. However, they have a lower carbon footprint than other salad vegetables such as tomato and cucumber.
Chili peppers are a popular way to spice up any dish, so it is important to know the carbon footprint associated with this vegetable. Then, you can make sustainable choices when it comes to your food.
The carbon footprint of chili peppers | 0.73 kg (1.6 lbs) of CO2e per pound of chili peppers |
So, let’s have a look at each stage of the LCA of chili peppers!
The life-cycle stages of chili peppers | Each stage’s carbon footprint |
Growing of chili peppers | The carbon footprint of growing chili peppers is 0.59 kg (1.3 lbs) of Co2e per pound of produce. This makes up 79.61% of the overall carbon footprint of this plant. The significant land usage, long growing period, and high pesticide use make up a large part of this figure. |
Harvesting, processing, and packaging of chili peppers | The carbon footprint of harvesting, processing, and packaging chili peppers is 0.1 kg (0.23 lbs) of CO2e per pound of produce. This makes up 13.68% of the overall carbon footprint. This is largely due to the use of plastic packaging, and the processing of this vegetable. |
Transporting of chili peppers | The carbon footprint of transporting chili peppers is 0.05 kg (0.11 lbs) of CO2e per pound of chili peppers. This amounts to 6.71% of the overall carbon footprint. This is impacted by the US importing over a million tons of peppers from Mexico annually. |
End-of-life of chili peppers | The carbon footprint of the end-of-life of chili peppers is largely impacted by the amount of food wasted. Peppers (including chili, but also more prevalently bell peppers) produce the 56th largest amount of avoidable food waste by weight, with 15,000 tons being wasted a year. Their plastic packaging is also bad for the environment, but lengthens the shelf-life, leading to less food waste. |
These four stages can be broken down in more detail to understand why the carbon footprint of chili peppers is relatively high in comparison to other vegetables.
What Is the Carbon Footprint of Growing Chili Peppers
The carbon footprint of growing chili peppers is 0.59 kg (1.3 lbs) of Co2e per pound of produce. This makes up 79.61% of the overall carbon footprint of this plant. The significant land usage, long growing period, and high pesticide use make up a large part of this figure.
Chili peppers are relatively easy to grow, but they are very sensitive to temperature and require a lot of land. This makes them quite labor intensive, attributing to the relatively high carbon footprint.
Which factors impact the carbon footprint of growing chili peppers?
- How do chili peppers grow: Chili pepper plants are grown above ground, in fields, polytunnels, or greenhouses. Large, industrial greenhouses produce carbon emissions due to their use of artificial lighting, heat, and carbon dioxide gas. This could be problematic for the overall footprint of chili peppers. However, most large-scale greenhouses aim to use recycled waste heat, and use low-energy lighting, to reduce the climate impact.
- What is the growth duration of chili peppers: Chili peppers have a long growing period, from around 60-150 days, depending on the intensity of flavor desired. This uses more resources than fast-growing plants, such as lettuce and salad mix, making the carbon emissions higher.
- What is the land usage of chili peppers: In general, 25-50 tons of chili peppers can be grown per hectare. This makes it a crop which is far less land-efficient than plants like cucumber, celery, and broccoli. This land usage increases the carbon footprint of chili peppers.
- What is the water usage of chili peppers: It is best to keep chili plants on the dry side, rather than overwatering them. The water usage impacts the carbon footprint, but because they do not require frequent watering, they are more water efficient than crops like cucumber.
- What is the pesticide and fertilizer usage of chili peppers: In a study by the Environmental Working Group, chili peppers were found to contain the 9th highest levels of pesticide residues out of 46 crops. The use of pesticides impacts negatively on the carbon footprint of chili peppers because they produce carbon emissions through manufacturing, transportation, and application to crops.
In short, growing chili peppers accounts for the majority of the carbon footprint of this plant. Land, water, and pesticide use, are key factors towards this.
What Is the Carbon Footprint of Harvesting, Processing, and Packaging Chili Peppers
The carbon footprint of harvesting, processing, and packaging chili peppers is 0.1 kg (0.23 lbs) of CO2e per pound of produce. This makes up 13.68% of the overall carbon footprint. This is largely due to the use of plastic packaging, and the processing of this vegetable.
Chili peppers are often harvested by hand, and require minimal processing and packaging. However, commercial markets will often process and package crops to increase shelf-life, which increases the carbon footprint.
Which factors impact the carbon footprint of harvesting, processing, and packaging chili peppers?
- How are chili peppers harvested: A lot of chili peppers are harvested by hand, since hand-harvesting increases yield. However, some farmers do harvest using combine harvesters. These mechanical harvesters are thought to be damaging up to a fifth of the global agricultural land. Also, these machines have negative impacts on soil health and release a lot of carbon emissions. Not harvesting chilis by machine is more labor-intensive, but creates fewer carbon emissions.
- How are chili peppers processed: A lot of chili peppers are processed and dried to be used as a dry spice. They can also be sold pre-chopped, pickled, or infused into oil. Processing vegetables increases shelf-life and reduces food waste. However, processing has a large impact on the carbon footprint of a crop, due to the machines and processing plants needed, which require vast amounts of energy and release carbon emissions.
- How are chili peppers packaged: A lot of chili peppers are sold loose, transported in reusable jute bags, which eliminates plastic packaging. They are often packaged in wooden crates, or cardboard boxes, which are reusable and recyclable. In other cases, they can be packaged in loose plastic wrap, or shrink-wrap to increase shelf-life. Most plastic packaging can be recycled, but it still requires resources to be made and to wrap the produce. Some plastic packaging is still unrecyclable, which increases the carbon footprint significantly.
In short, plastic-free, fresh chili peppers have lower carbon footprints. So, try to purchase the vegetable without processing or packaging to reduce the carbon footprint of your purchase.
What Is the Carbon Footprint of Transporting of Chili Peppers
The carbon footprint of transporting chili peppers is 0.05 kg (0.11 lbs) of CO2e per pound of chili peppers. This amounts to 6.71% of the overall carbon footprint. This is impacted by the US importing over a million tons of peppers from Mexico annually.
Chili peppers are transported from overseas to satisfy consumer demands for year-round produce. This customer demand for non-seasonal crops has a negative impact on the carbon footprint of chili peppers.
Which factors impact the carbon footprint of transporting chili peppers?
- Where are chili peppers grown: The United States is the seventh largest producer of chili peppers in the world, but the biggest importer. The majority of chili peppers are imported from Mexico. For example, in 2021, 1.2 million tons of chillies were imported to the US, with 84% of these coming from Mexico. This increases the food miles of chili peppers, having a negative impact on the carbon footprint. Purchasing locally grown chili peppers reduces the carbon footprint of this crop.
- How are chili peppers transported: Like the majority of fresh produce, chili peppers are transported in refrigerated vehicles. These vehicles can emit up to 29 times more potentially carcinogenic particulate matter and six times more nitrogen oxides than far larger, modern diesel truck engines. If chilis are purchased from local farms, the carbon footprint is decreased.
In short, a reliance on imported chili peppers, shipped from a long distance, significantly increases the carbon footprint of this plant. Shopping locally and seasonally is a key way to reduce the impact of purchasing chili peppers.
What Is the Carbon Footprint of the End-of-Life of Chili Peppers
The carbon footprint of the end-of-life of chili peppers is largely impacted by the amount of food wasted. Peppers (including chili, but also more prevalently bell peppers) produce the 56th largest amount of avoidable food waste by weight, with 15,000 tons being wasted a year. Their plastic packaging is also bad for the environment, but lengthens the shelf-life, leading to less food waste.
Chili peppers are compostable, but often end up in landfill. The packaging is often recyclable too, but also can be discarded in landfill if not disposed of properly. Some developments are being made to create perforated compostable packaging, which would increase shelf-life, reduce food waste, and eliminate plastic waste.
Which factors impact the carbon footprint of the end-of-life of chili peppers?
- How are chili peppers disposed of: 15,000 tons of avoidable pepper waste is discarded every year. They are compostable, however, food waste in landfill is a big problem for the environment. 16% of all food is wasted on farms, largely for aesthetic reasons. The resources used to grow these crops just to discard them is enormous, and negatively impacts the carbon footprint of chili peppers. To reduce this waste, the demand for ‘wonky fruit’ has been rising. Buying imperfect produce will lead to farmers throwing away less crops, and reducing the carbon footprint.
- How is the packaging of chili peppers disposed of: Plastic packaging can increase the carbon footprint of a crop, due to the carbon-intensive resources needed to make the plastic. However, many of the polyethylene bags used for packaging are recyclable, as long as the polyethylene is not bonded with other plastics. This is because polyethylene is generally only recycled to make like-for-like products. Still, it is much more sustainable to buy loose produce. A lot of plastic that we recycle ends up on the other side of the world, causing a threat to developing countries. So, it is not as good for the environment as we may imagine. When chili peppers are sold in plastic packaging, this increases the carbon footprint.
In short, a move towards compostable packaging would significantly lower the carbon footprint of the end-of-life of chili peppers, as would a preference for locally grown, imperfect produce, and a greater awareness of how severely food waste impacts the environment.
How Does the Carbon Footprint of Chili Peppers Compare to Other Types of Food
Chili peppers have a relatively high carbon footprint compared to other vegetables. However, vegetables tend to produce far fewer carbon emissions than other types of food.
Let’s see how chili peppers compare to other vegetables.
How Does the Carbon Footprint of Chili Peppers Compare to Other Types of Vegetables
In comparison to other vegetables, chili peppers rank quite highly. Salad vegetables tend to need more resources to grow, making their carbon footprint higher than root vegetables.
So, chili peppers are not the most sustainable choice of vegetables, but how do they compare to other types of food?
How Does the Carbon Footprint of Chili Peppers Compare to Other Types of Food in General
Like tomatoes and cucumbers, chili peppers rank highly in comparison to other food types.
When it comes to greenhouse gas emissions (GHG), foods are often compared in terms of emissions per 1,000 kilocalories (as opposed to their weight in lbs or kg).
However, since chili peppers are extremely low in calories, a far greater amount of produce is needed to equal 1,000 kilocalories. Also small amounts of chili peppers are most commonly used as a garnish, rather than eating a full ‘portion.’
- To eat 1,000 kilocalories, you would need to consume 25 100g servings, around 200 medium size chili peppers, or 55 ounces. That would be a very spicy way to eat 1,000 kilocalories!
- In comparison to beef, which appears close to tomatoes and cucumbers on the list, you would only need 4.6 servings to eat 1,000 kilocalories, or 16 ounces.
- Comparatively, salad vegetables have an extremely high carbon footprint per kilocalorie, but are enormously less calorific than animal-based food.
- More calorific plant-based foods, such as pulses and nuts, have a miniscule carbon footprint in comparison to animal-based proteins. A single portion of beef amounts to around five portions of chili pepper, in terms of calories.
- This means that per portion, you will be consuming fewer calories, and so the carbon footprint will not be as large as this graph suggests.
Since the carbon emissions for chili peppers are relatively high, try to be mindful of the ways you can lessen your environmental impact when you purchase them.
How Can You Reduce and Offset Your Personal Carbon Footprint
All of the food you eat will have some form of carbon footprint, especially when you buy foods with high CO2e, like chili peppers. However, there are ways to offset and reduce your personal carbon footprint.
There are a few easy techniques to buy more eco-friendly chili peppers, and you can also find ways to offset the carbon footprint after your purchase.
How Can You Reduce Your Carbon Footprint When Shopping for Chili Peppers
When shopping for chili peppers, consider these ways to lessen your impact on the environment.
- Shop locally and seasonally: Chili peppers are in season from late summer to winter. Buying from local farms reduces the need for carbon emissions produced by importing the produce from a long distance, and makes it a much more sustainable choice.
- Opt for plastic free produce: Aim to only buy loose chili peppers, and be mindful to consume them quickly to reduce food waste. If loose chili peppers are not available, recycle any plastic waste produced.
- Choose organic: Organic chili peppers produce a much lower carbon footprint than non-organic vegetables, due to the lack of pesticide production, distribution, and the overall higher health of soil for crops, insects, and animals.
Taking these actions are a great way to lessen your own carbon footprint, but there are also ways to offset the impact of consuming chili peppers as well.
How Can You Offset Your Personal Carbon Footprint
Carbon offsets are reductions in carbon emissions that are used to compensate for carbon emissions occurring elsewhere – for example for the carbon emissions that are associated with chili peppers. They are measured in tons of CO2 equivalents and are bought and sold through international brokers, online retailers, and trading platforms on what is known as the global carbon offset market.
“Carbon Offset: a way for a company or person to reduce the level of carbon dioxide for which they are responsible by paying money to a company that works to reduce the total amount produced in the world, for example by planting trees”
Oxford Dictionary
In terms of chili peppers – and indeed all food types – there will always be a carbon footprint, because of the resources it takes to get your food from farms to the place where you’ll eventually eat them. And while there are ways to reduce your carbon footprint when shopping for chili peppers, carbon offsets would be a way to reduce your CO2e emissions all the way down to net zero (or even to become climate positive).
However, when you purchase carbon offsets, it’s important that they actually make a difference in offsetting (aka reducing) total carbon emissions. To achieve that, the following are key criteria:
- Carbon offset projects have to be effective (different projects have different effectiveness rates)
- Carbon offset projects have to be additional
- Carbon offset projects have to be permanent
- The claims from carbon offset projects have to be verifiable
To find the best carbon offsets for you personally, check out our full guide on the best carbon offsets for individuals, where you’ll also learn more about how these carbon offset projects work, what their respective offsetting costs are, and what your best way would be to offset your own carbon emissions.
Final Thoughts
Chili peppers have a relatively high carbon footprint in comparison to other vegetables. Try to reduce your carbon footprint by eating organic, buying plastic-free, reducing food waste, and purchasing local, seasonal produce. Once plastic packaging has been replaced with compostable wrappings, chili peppers will have a lower carbon footprint, but they will still remain a resource-heavy plant. When you do enjoy chili peppers, think about whether you can offset the carbon emissions created, to make this healthy vegetable a more sustainable option!
Stay impactful,
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