The Environmental Impact of Garlic: From Farm to Table

The Environmental Impact of Garlic: From Farm to Table

By
Grace Howarth

Read Time:21 Minutes

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The average American eats two pounds of garlic a year, and 14% of us put garlic on nearly everything we cook. Garlic has a host of health benefits and medicinal properties including helping to reduce cholesterol and heart disease. Furthermore, it contains antioxidants that may prevent the common cold, dementia, and Alzheimer’s disease. Yet, much less is shared about the effect that garlic has on the planet. So we had to ask: What is the environmental impact of garlic?

Garlic has a moderately low negative impact on the environment. It has a relatively low carbon footprint and requires few resources, such as land and pesticides, to grow. Garlic is often sold loose rather than in plastic packaging, reducing the overall waste of this crop.

In this article, we will examine the environmental impact of garlic from several different angles. We will go through the life-cycle of garlic, detailing its impact on the environment from growth to distribution to your plate to waste management. We will then compare the environmental impact of garlic to that of other vegetables. And, finally, we’ll share some tips with you on how you can reduce your own environmental impact and offset your own carbon emissions – both for your personal life and garlic-related.

Here’s How We Assessed the Environmental Impact of Garlic

The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is one of the ways we measure the potential environmental effects of our actions, like the consumption of garlic. It is a holistic assessment based on the environmental changes associated with our consumption. Those are changes in our environment that can have adverse effects on the air, land, water, fish, and wildlife or the inhabitants of the ecosystem.

Environmental Impact: the effect that the activities of people and businesses have on the environment”

Cambridge Dictionary

Basically, all goods and services you buy – including garlic – leave an impact on our environment. When it comes to food in general, and garlic in specific, the following are key factors:

To understand the overall environmental impact of garlic, we must assess each of its key factors. This Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is a tool originally developed to identify the environmental impacts of a project prior to decision-making and also helps us to evaluate the environmental impacts of garlic, from farm to table.

Here’s the Overall Environmental Impact of Garlic

All crops have an impact on the environment, as a great many resources, like land and water, are needed to produce food on a mass scale. 

Garlic is in the top ten list of vegetables with the lowest carbon footprint. This means that relative to other vegetables, garlic is a sustainable, low-impact choice.

So, let’s have a look at the environmental impact of each key factor of garlic!

Key Assessment FactorsEnvironmental Impact
Land requirements for garlicGarlic, like all crops, has an impact on wildlife, habitable land, biodiversity, and soil erosion. Though garlic’s low yield makes it quite land-intensive, it is harvested in much smaller quantities than other vegetables. Only 400 million pounds of garlic are produced in the US annually, whereas over 45 billion pounds of potatoes are grown in the US each year. This makes the overall environmental impact rather low.
Water footprint of garlicGarlic has a low water footprint of 18 liters per 4-ounce serving. It often requires additional irrigation due to its shallow root systems. This increases its blue water footprint, in particular. However, overall the environmental impact of the water used to grow garlic is far smaller than other crops, such as asparagus or soybeans grown as animal feed.
Agrochemical usage for garlicThe Environmental Working Group found no concerns with the pesticide use of garlic, making it a sustainable choice in this regard. However, the frequent use of fertilizers while growing this crop increases the negative impact that garlic has on the environment.
Carbon footprint of garlicGarlic has a carbon footprint of 0.18 kg (0.4 lb) of CO2e per pound of produce. This is a very low carbon footprint in comparison to other vegetables, and is largely because garlic is often sold without plastic, has a long shelf life, and often requires few resources, such as pesticides, to grow. 
Waste generation of garlicAround 20 million garlic cloves are wasted a year. Choosing loose garlic reduces the plastic waste of this crop. Garlic has a long shelf-life and is often sold without packaging, meaning that the end-of-life of garlic should have a relatively low environmental impact. However, garlic waste still often ends up in landfills, increasing the negative impact of this stage.

These are the overall summaries, but there is a lot more to the story. In the next few sections, we will dive deeper into each stage to illustrate to you all the important aspects of garlic’s environmental impact.

What Are the Land Requirements for Garlic

Garlic, like all crops, has an impact on wildlife, habitable land, biodiversity, and soil erosion. Though garlic’s low yield makes it quite land-intensive, it is harvested in much smaller quantities than other vegetables. Only 400 million pounds of garlic are produced in the US annually, whereas over 45 billion pounds of potatoes are grown in the US each year. This makes the overall environmental impact rather low.

Illustration of global land use for food production
Our World in Data: Global land use for food production

How do the land requirements of garlic impact their environmental footprint?

In short, garlic is fairly land-efficient and has a relatively small impact on wildlife, biodiversity, and loss of habitable land. Farming garlic does cause some soil erosion, but this can be combated with proper soil management techniques. Overall, the environmental impact of the land requirements of garlic is very low.

What Is the Water Footprint of Garlic

Garlic has a low water footprint of 18 liters per 4-ounce serving. It often requires additional irrigation due to its shallow root systems. This increases its blue water footprint, in particular. However, overall the environmental impact of the water used to grow garlic is far smaller than other crops, such as asparagus or soybeans grown as animal feed.

Water usage is one of the most important factors in the environmental impact of a vegetable. The amount of water used, as well as the way they affect the water sources around them, are all major contributing factors. Here, we will look at these different angles of garlic’s water impact.

How does the water footprint of garlic impact their environmental footprint?

In short, the water footprint of garlic is relatively low, despite it requiring more water than some other vegetables, especially considering its ability to absorb toxins from water.

What Is the Agrochemical Usage for Garlic

The Environmental Working Group found no concerns with the pesticide use of garlic, making it a sustainable choice in this regard. However, the frequent use of fertilizers while growing this crop increases the negative impact that garlic has on the environment.

Pesticides and fertilizers are agrochemicals that can have a significant impact on the environment. They both require resources to create as well as have effects on the life around them. Here, we will look at how garlic’s pesticide and fertilizer rates affect their environmental impact.

How does the agrochemical usage of garlic impact their environmental footprint?

In short, though few pesticides are used to grow garlic, the use of fertilizer increases the environmental impact of this crop. Opting for organic garlic makes it a more sustainable choice.

What Is the Carbon Footprint of Garlic

Garlic has a carbon footprint of 0.18 kg (0.4 lb) of CO2e per pound of produce. This is a very low carbon footprint in comparison to other vegetables, and is largely because garlic is often sold without plastic, has a long shelf life, and often requires few resources, such as pesticides, to grow. 

Illustration of global greenhouse gas emissions from food production
Our World in Data: Global greenhouse gas emissions from food production

Carbon footprint is one aspect of the overall environmental impact of a crop. It essentially measures how much carbon or other greenhouse gasses the production of garlic emits into the atmosphere. Emissions from product manufacturing, irrigation, transportation fuel, and landfills all add up to create the overall carbon footprint of a crop. Let’s see how the carbon footprint of garlic breaks down and contributes to their environmental impact.

How does the carbon footprint of garlic impact their environmental footprint?

In short, the carbon footprint of garlic is relatively low compared to other vegetables, and extremely low when compared to non-plant-based products. Choosing locally grown, loose produce is a way to ensure the carbon footprint of your garlic is as low as possible.

Related: Check out our full article on “What Is the Carbon Footprint of Garlic? A Life-Cycle Analysis” to find out all about the carbon footprint of garlic and how each stage of its life-cycle contributes to it (plus, what you can do to reduce your carbon footprint when shopping for garlic).

What Is the Waste Generation of Garlic

Around 20 million garlic cloves are wasted a year. Choosing loose garlic reduces the plastic waste of this crop. Garlic has a long shelf-life and is often sold without packaging, meaning that the end-of-life of garlic should have a relatively low environmental impact. However, garlic waste still often ends up in landfills, increasing the negative impact of this stage.

When vegetable waste, either packaging or organic materials, is disposed of, it can have a major impact on the environment. Whether it’s damaging wildlife, getting into oceans, emitting methane, or dissolving into microplastics that contaminate groundwater, all these materials have their part to play. In this section, we will look at how garlic waste affects the environment.

How does the waste generation of garlic impact their environmental footprint?

In short, buying unpackaged garlic, and storing it properly, leads to far less waste. Being conscious of the way you dispose of garlic waste will reduce your environmental impact.

What Have Been Historical Environmental Issues Connected to the Garlic Industry

Garlic is one of the oldest known horticultural crops, with its history stretching back 5,000 years in the Old World, Egypt, and India. This allium has always been surrounded by myths, from warding off vampires to preventing the plague, garlic has been used as a currency, a medicinal food, and even an offering to gods! The environmental impact of this crop has grown as wide-scale, global production has increased.

All vegetables have had a complex road toward global distribution. They originate in one part of the world and often travel far to end up in your local supermarket. From farm to table, some of our favorite vegetables have racked up some serious environmental damage along the way. Whether it’s deforestation to meet demand, water pollution, or disruption of wildlife, most vegetables have left a path of destruction. Let’s see how garlic has fared throughout history. 

What have been the key environmental issues of the garlic industry?

  • How much land has been lost because of garlic production: The industrialization of the garlic industry over time has no doubt caused the loss of a lot of land. As the human population continues to grow, more land is required to feed people around the globe. In the US alone, 26,000 acres are used to grow garlic. However, the scale of garlic production is far smaller than that of other vegetables, causing a relatively small overall loss of land.
  • Which wildlife species have been negatively impacted or displaced because of garlic production: In the cultivation and harvest of any crop, many small animals like mice, rabbits, and insects will be displaced or killed by the harvesting equipment. In particular, leek moths and onion maggots are fond of garlic and can be killed during harvesting. Garlic plants are not known to have a severe negative impact on wildlife but the pesticides used on them can affect surrounding ecosystems.
  • Have water sources and soil been contaminated because of garlic production: Growing garlic has not been found to pollute soil or water sources in particular, though the agricultural industry in general does cause pollution issues. However, garlic has been discovered to be at a high risk of being contaminated with heavy metals from polluted soil or water. Therefore, it is recommended that garlic is grown in less polluted areas.
  • Other known historical issues: The farming industry is vulnerable to modern-day slavery and child labor, and unfortunately, garlic production is no different. Across the globe, the people growing and picking our food are some of society’s most impoverished and abused. Although many people are speaking out against the use of forced labor in farming practices, more has to be done to ensure the safety and well-being of farmers around the world.

In short, the global consumption of garlic can have a negative impact on the environment and ethicality. The impact of garlic may be lower than that of other food types, but it is important to recognize the impact that all of our purchases have on the planet and the people on it.

What Is the Overall Environmental Impact of Food and Agriculture

Food production, in general, has a significant impact on the environment. It is the cause of a great deal of pollution, loss of biodiversity, land and water use. The table below breaks down the overall environmental impact of the agriculture industry.

Illustration of the environmental impacts of food and agriculture
Our World in Data: The environmental impacts of food and agriculture

Livestock accounts for the vast majority of non-human mammal and bird biomass. Mammal livestock outweighs wild mammals by a factor of 15-to-1, and poultry livestock outweighs wild birds by a factor of more than 3-to-1.

These statistics highlight the need for sustainable and responsible practices in food production to reduce its impact on the environment. And the need for us to shift toward more environmentally-friendly foods.

How Can You Reduce Your Environmental Impact and Offset Your Personal Carbon Footprint

There are a few things you can do to mitigate some of the negative environmental effects of consuming garlic, while still enjoying them. You can also consider offsetting your personal and garlic-related carbon emissions, which work to remove carbon emissions elsewhere that are then attributed to you. Here, we will walk you through how to accomplish both of these things.

How Can You Reduce Your Environmental Impact When Shopping for Garlic

In this section, we give you a short list of ways you can reduce the negative environmental effects of garlic, based on those parts of the life-cycle of garlic that would otherwise most negatively impact the environment:

  1. Shop locally and seasonally: Garlic is in prime season from summer to fall. Buying from local farms reduces the carbon emissions produced and makes it a much more sustainable choice. If you are near a local, small-scale farm that harvests by hand, your purchase will be even better for the environment.
  2. Choose organic: Organic garlic has 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.
  3. Buy plastic-free: Avoid pre-processed and packaged garlic, and instead opt for whole, loose produce. This will decrease the overall environmental impact of your purchase massively.
  4. Store your garlic correctly: Garlic can actually last for up to six months in the correct storage conditions, but moisture and light can lead to premature spoilage. Store it in a cool dark place, and freeze chopped garlic to lead to a longer shelf-life, and less food waste. To create even less waste, you could even use the skin of garlic to create your own garlic powder

Following some of these methods can really help you to cut down on your environmental impact of eating garlic. None of these will completely eradicate these negative impacts, since there are always effects that may be outside of your control. But some reduction is always better than nothing!

Which Organizations Can You Support to Help Alleviate Your Environmental Impact

While garlic can cause a wide range of environmental damage, there are also some organizations that help you reduce parts of your impact that would otherwise be outside of your control. These organizations are working hard to prevent and reverse damage to the environment caused by industries like garlic agriculture.

In the table below are some of the best environmental charities that work in the areas where garlic production has affected the environment – and beyond:

Overall environmental impactBest charities that fight to protect our environment
Land requirementsBest charities for reforestation
Best wildlife conservation charities
Best charities for protecting the Amazon rainforest
Best charities that protect our national parks
Water footprintBest charities that fight for clean water
Best charities that help conserve our rivers
Best charities to save our oceans
Agrochemical usageBest charities that help farmers
Best charities for helping farm animals
Carbon footprintBest charities for climate change
Best carbon offsets for individuals
Waste generationBest charities that fight to reduce food waste
Best charities that fight to end plastic pollution

Though it is helpful to reduce the environmental impact of your personal garlic consumption, supporting these organizations takes your positive impact a step further. You will be reaching far beyond your own consumption impacts and helping to build a better world for everyone!

How Can You Offset Your Personal Carbon Footprint

The carbon footprint is a key part of your environmental impact. And it is one of the ways we measure the effects of our human-induced global climate change. Yes, even from eating garlic!

Carbon footprint: the amount of greenhouse gasses 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 garlic:

Illustration of carbon emissions from food
Our World in Data: Emissions from food alone would take us past 1.5°C or 2°C this century

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 garlic. 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 garlic – 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 garlic, 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.

Related: Check out our full guide on “What Are the Best Carbon Offsets for Individuals: Complete 2025 List” to find the best carbon offset providers for your personal carbon emissions and those associated to, e.g., eating garlic.

Final Thoughts

Garlic has a relatively low environmental impact when compared with other vegetables and a very low carbon footprint when compared with other foods. However, you can try to reduce your impact even further by eating organic, reducing food and plastic waste, and purchasing local, seasonal produce. When you do enjoy garlic, think about whether you can offset the carbon emissions created, to make this healthy flavoring an even more sustainable option!

Stay impactful,

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