Environmental Impacts of Peanut Butter

Environmental Impacts of Peanut Butter

Peanut products offer merits and disadvantages to the environment and are widely used globally. According to Noorhosseini and Damalas (2018), a total of 24.07 million hectares are used for peanut growing globally. Asia has the largest land mass dedicated to peanut growth; 11.45 million hectares. Therefore, peanut productions ought to be regulated to prevent an outburst in greenhouse emissions and other environmental problems. This paper analyses the impact peanut butter production has on the environment, ways in which individual choices affect environmental sustainability, and methods of reducing negative environmental impacts caused by peanut butter.

Impact of Peanut Butter Production on the environment

The production process for peanut butter constitutes of planting and harvesting of the peanuts, shelling, roasting, cooling and branching, grinding, packaging, and transportation. In the initial phase, peanut butter plantations use nitrogen fertilizers to increase chlorophyll levels in the leaves, hence facilitating better growth. Nitrogen fertilizers provide nutrients to the soil and allow faster growth in crop rotations. However, many peanut farmers overuse the fertilizer and this leads to numerous environmental impacts. These include eutrophication, global warming, and high chemical levels in land and water bodies close to it (Noorhosseini & Damdas, 2018). Excessive nitrogen usage in farms creates Ammonia (NH3) and Nitrous Oxide (N2O) emissions.

McCarty, Sandefur, and Matlock & Thoma (2014) assert that there are 2.88 kg CO2 e per every kg of peanut butter consumed. During the processing stage, greenhouse gases of 1.01kg CO2 e per kg of peanut butter are produced. The consumer contributes to 0.84kg CO2 e per kg while the retail process enables 0.51. Through the entire peanut butter production cycle, transport accounts for 24% of the process’ environmental impacts (McCarty, Sandefur, Matlock, & Thoma 2014). Consumer transportation rates are high because they use personal cars to travel to supermarkets or stalls to acquire peanut butter, thus increasing carbon dioxide emissions.

Impacts of People’s Choices on Environmental Sustainability

Environmental pollution is significantly caused by people’s choices. For instance, when people carelessly dispose used plastic containers, they may cause air, soil, and water pollution. In most cases, people choose to burn plastics and papers in landfills. These waste products emit gases and chemicals that adversely affect the ozone layer. Furthermore, burnt plastics can mix with other chemicals thus causing explosions. Similarly, chemicals derived from burnt plastics may contaminate water bodies and the soil, in turn risking people and animal health. Moreover, McCarty, Sandefur, Matlock, & Thoma (2014) state that if a jar of peanut butter contains 16 servings, which leads to the use of 16 plates and 16 spoons, people utilizing plastic utensils would dispose 32 items per jar. Consequently, human adaption to disposable utensils would lead to environmental instability.

Mitigation Practices

Abusafieh and Razem (2017) assert that human behaviors are changed by changing their environmental setting. Therefore, if all neighborhoods impose rules that prohibit improper disposal of containers, these laws would condition people into increasing environmental stability. In such cases, the government would ensure sufficient disposal channels for different types of waste and impose policies that give people incentive to adhere.

Additionally, peanut farmers should move to more organic ways of production. Using organize manure would counter the effects of nitrogen fertilizers to the environment. People should also make local peanut butter purchases instead of ordering from other states of abroad to reduce CO2 emissions during transportation. Further, peanut butter manufacturers should use glass containers for packaging because the material is easier to recycle as compared to plastic.

Peanut butter serves as a relevant complement to many meals. Due to the rapid increase in global populations, peanut butter productions would need to increase to satisfy rising demands. Therefore, producers and consumers ought to find more environmental friendly ways to facilitate the production of the product and avoid negative effects like global warming.

References

Abusafieh, S. & Razem, M (2017). Human behavior and environmental sustainability: Promoting a pro-environmental behavior by harnessing the social, psychological and physical influences of the built environment. World Renewable Energy Congress-17, 1-16 10.1051/e3sconf/20172302003.