Cucumbers are the seventh most popular vegetable in the US. This antioxidant-rich plant is 96% water and is packed with antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. Found in salads across the world, cucumber is a beloved healthy snack. Yet, much less is shared about the environmental impact, and especially the carbon emissions of cucumber. So we had to ask: What is the carbon footprint of cucumbers?

Cucumber has a high carbon footprint of 1.00 kg (2.2 lbs) of CO₂e per pound of cucumbers, which makes it one of the highest carbon-emitting vegetables. Nearly 95% of carbon emissions are produced while cucumbers are grown, due to water usage, and the high-maintenance required. 

In this article, we’ll walk you through the overall carbon emissions over the life-cycle of cucumbers. From growing, to packaging, to transporting, 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 Cucumbers

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 cucumbers:

• 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 cucumbers, we must assess their 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 Cucumbers

The overall carbon footprint of cucumbers is 1.00 kg (2.2 lbs) of CO₂e per pound of produce, which is incredibly high for crops. In terms of vegetables, it has one of the highest carbon footprints. 

Cucumbers are one of the most popular vegetables, 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.

So, let’s have a look at each stage of the LCA of cucumbers!

These four stages can be broken down in more detail to understand why the carbon footprint of cucumbers is high in comparison to other foods.

What Is the Carbon Footprint of Growing Cucumbers

The carbon footprint of growing cucumbers is 0.95 kg (2.1 lbs) of CO₂e per pound of cucumbers. This makes up an enormous 94.49% of the overall carbon footprint of this plant. These significant emissions are mostly caused by their high maintenance needs and significant water requirements during the growing process. 

Cucumbers are difficult plants to grow perfectly. They require a lot of maintenance, use a lot of water, and are routinely treated with pesticides. These are the main factors that increase the carbon footprint, but growth duration and land-use also have an impact, despite cucumber being a land-efficient plant to grow. 

Which factors impact the carbon footprint of growing cucumbers?

• How do cucumbers grow: Cucumbers are grown on trellises, either in fields or in greenhouses. They can be planted manually or by machine. Cucumbers require a lot of maintenance, and the plants must be trained to grow on trellises, which contributes to the high carbon footprint, as well as the resources used for machine planting.
• What is the growth duration of cucumbers: The growth duration of cucumbers is relatively quick, and plants can be harvested from 36-40 days after planting. This quick growth is better for the environment, as it is less resource-heavy.
• What is the land usage of cucumbers: On average, 40,000 to 90,000 cucumber plants are grown per acre, though some farms plant up to 150,000 per acre. In comparison, celery and broccoli both grow substantially fewer plants per acre. Celery grows an average of 32,000-42,000 plants per acre, whereas broccoli grows 14,000-24,000 plants per acre. This makes cucumber very land-efficient, which is beneficial for the environment.
• What is the water usage of cucumbers: While growing, cucumbers require a constant supply of moisture. In fact, it is recommended that each cucumber plant receives at least one inch of water a day. Due to their short roots, irrigation is difficult with cucumber plants, meaning that more water is needed, which increases the carbon footprint. 
• What is the pesticide and fertilizer usage of cucumbers: The Environmental Working Group found that cucumbers contain the 18th highest proportion of pesticides in a study of 46 fruits and vegetables. While this has a medium risk level, the use of pesticides impacts negatively on the carbon footprint of cucumbers. Pesticides produce carbon emissions through manufacturing, transportation and application to crops. 

In short, the majority of the carbon footprint of cucumber is generated at the agricultural stage. Due to the high-maintenance, pesticide-usage, land, and water required, this is a very resource-heavy process. 

What Is the Carbon Footprint of Harvesting, Processing, and Packaging Cucumbers

The carbon footprint of harvesting, processing, and packaging cucumbers makes up just 1.49% of the overall carbon footprint because they are usually harvested by hand and are sold as fresh produce. 

Cucumbers are largely hand-harvested, sold fresh, and packaged in recyclable, polyethylene plastic shrink wrap. Plasticc packaging contributes to 1% of the overall carbon footprint of cucumbers, but also helps increase shelf-life to prevent food waste.

Which factors impact the carbon footprint of harvesting, processing, and packaging cucumbers?

• How are cucumbers harvested: Most cucumbers are hand-harvested, as machine harvesting can be very destructive to the crop. They are cut or twisted off the vine, over the course of a several-week harvest. Although this is labor intensive, a completely machine-harvested crop would create more waste, and increase the carbon footprint. 
• How are cucumbers processed: The vast majority of cucumbers are sold fresh, with a minority being pickled. Whole cucumbers do not freeze well, so pickling is the main form of preservation. Pickled cucumbers are usually grown separately, machine-harvested, and then either fermented, pasteurized, or refrigerated. Pickling increases the carbon footprint, but reduces waste. However, since most cucumbers are sold fresh, this does not impact the overall carbon footprint greatly.
• How are cucumbers packaged: Usually cucumbers are packaged in recyclable polyethylene plastic shrink wrap. The requirement for plastic packaging increases the carbon footprint. However, the packaging increases the shelf-life of cucumbers from around 5 to 15 days. One study found that the packaging waste accounted for around 1% of the overall carbon footprint of growing cucumbers, but that a wasted cucumber was equivalent to 93 plastic cucumber wraps. It is an imperfect solution, and more research needs to be done to lengthen the shelf-life of cucumber, without relying on plastic.

In short, harvesting, processing, and packaging has an impact on the overall carbon footprint of cucumber, but the amount of carbon emissions released post-harvesting are minimal in comparison to the growing process.

What Is the Carbon Footprint of Transporting of Cucumbers

The carbon footprint of transporting cucumbers makes up 4.03% of the overall carbon footprint. Most cucumbers consumed in the US are produced in Mexico. However, they need to be transported in refrigerated containers which adds to the overall carbon footprint of cucumbers. 

80% of cucumbers consumed in the US are imported from Mexico, and due to the delicate nature of the plant, require careful, refrigerated shipping. These factors have a substantial impact on the overall carbon footprint of cucumbers.

Which factors impact the carbon footprint of transporting cucumbers?

• Where are cucumbers grown: In 2020, 7 times as many cucumbers were imported into the US, than grown locally. Of the 2,193 million lbs of imported cucumbers, 1,740 million lbs were imported from Mexico, which makes Mexico the largest producer of cucumbers for the US. There has been an enormous decline in US cucumber production over the past 20 years, which negatively impacts the carbon footprint of cucumbers. Although cucumbers can be grown anywhere in the US, the reliance on imported vegetables increases the food miles, which makes them worse for the environment. 
• How are cucumbers transported: Cucumbers are transported in wooden or plastic crates and packets. They are transported either by rail, aircraft, trucks, or ships. They are sensitive to impact, pressure, and temperature, so they need to be shipped in refrigerated conditions. This has a negative impact on the carbon footprint of cucumbers.

In short, the transportation of imported cucumbers creates carbon emissions, increasing the carbon footprint, and making cucumbers worse for the environment. Try to shop locally to reduce your impact.

What Is the Carbon Footprint of the End-of-Life of Cucumbers

The carbon footprint of the end-of-life of cucumbers is largely impacted by the amount of food wasted. Unfortunately, cucumbers make up 15.4% of all wasted salad. The plastic packaging is bad for the environment, but also triples the shelf-life, leading to less food waste. 

Cucumbers are compostable, but often end up in landfill. The packaging is recyclable, but also can be discarded in landfill if not disposed of properly. Some developments are being made into plastic-free packaging, created out of plant-based materials, which aims to increase shelf-life, reduce food waste, and eliminate plastic waste.

Which factors impact the carbon footprint of the end-of-life of cucumbers?

• How are cucumbers disposed of: Cucumbers make up 0.9% of overall avoidable food waste, and 15.4% of wasted salad. Cucumbers 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 cucumbers. To reduce this waste, the demand for ‘wonky fruit’ has been rising. Buying imperfect produce will lead to farmers throwing away less crops. 
• How is the packaging of cucumbers disposed of: Plastic packaging is difficult to recycle. 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. 

In short, food and packaging waste is a significant issue. To reduce the carbon footprint of cucumbers, individuals have to be mindful in cutting out food waste, and recycling. Manufacturers moving to plant-based packaging instead of plastic, will have a positive impact on the end-of-life carbon footprint of cucumbers. 

How Does the Carbon Footprint of Cucumbers Compare to Other Types of Food

Cucumbers have a relatively high carbon footprint. In comparison to the ten most popular vegetables, they rank the highest.

Let’s see how cucumbers compare to other vegetables.

How Does the Carbon Footprint of Cucumbers Compare to Other Types of Vegetables

Cucumber has a very high carbon footprint in comparison to other vegetables. In general, salad vegetables release more carbon emissions than root vegetables.

So, cucumbers are not the most sustainable choice of vegetables, but how do they compare to other types of food?

How Does the Carbon Footprint of Cucumbers Compare to Other Types of Food in General

Like tomatoes, cucumbers rank very 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 cucumbers are extremely low in calories, a far greater amount of produce is needed to equal 1,000 kilocalories.

• To eat 1,000 kilocalories, you would need to consume 62.5 servings, 22.22 full cucumbers, or 235 ounces.
• 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 fourteen portions of cucumber, 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 cucumbers are relatively high, try to be mindful of the ways you can lessen your environmental impact when you do purchase cucumbers.

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. However, there are ways to offset and reduce your personal carbon footprint. 

There are a few easy techniques to buy more eco-friendly cucumbers, and you can also find ways to offset the carbon footprint after your purchase. 

How Can You Reduce Your Carbon Footprint When Shopping for Cucumbers

When shopping for cucumber, consider these ways to lessen your impact on the environment. 

1. Opt for packaging free produce: If plastic-free cucumber is not available, make sure to recycle any plastic waste. If you can find loose cucumbers, be mindful to consume them quickly to reduce food waste. Perhaps you could try home pickling to preserve them for longer. This simple recipe takes just 5 minutes, and can increase shelf-life by a week!
2. Choose organic: Organic cucumber produces a much lower carbon footprint than non-organic produce, due to the lack of pesticide production, distribution, and the overall higher health of soil for crops, insects, and animals.
3. Buy locally: Driving up demand for local produce reduces food miles and lessens greenhouse gas emissions. Try to buy cucumbers grown in the US, instead of imported from other countries, to ensure you have a more positive impact. Buying from farmers local to your area is even more beneficial. 

Taking these actions are a great way to lessen your own carbon footprint, but there are also ways to offset the impact of consuming cucumbers 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 cucumbers. 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 cucumbers – 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 cucumbers, 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

Cucumbers have a 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 produce. Once plastic packaging has been replaced with plant-based wrappings, cucumbers will have a lower carbon footprint, but they will still remain a resource-heavy plant.

Stay impactful,

Sources

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