Groundnuts: Emissions
Counting the carbon in a jar of peanut butter
What this tab covers The greenhouse-gas footprint of the commodity at a global level, split by lifecycle phase: extraction (or farming), refining and processing, movement, usage, and recycling or end of life. Intensities are per unit of product; the global total combines intensity with world output. Also covers other environmental impacts and the main levers to cut emissions. Emission intensity 3.23 t CO2e per t range not given in the sources used; varies with yield and land-use change · cradle-to-retail global mean, GWP100 Global emissions per year 160 Mt CO2e per year 2026/27 · 3.23 t CO2e/t x 50.1 Mt (indicative; mixes in-shell production with a retail-product intensity, so an upper estimate)Per kg (or t) of groundnuts at retail; cradle-to-retail. Intensity: Poore & Nemecek 2018 (Science), via Our World in Data (indicative). Global total: derived from USDA PSD with Poore & Nemecek 2018 (Science), via Our World in Data (indicative).
Footprint by lifecycle phase
| Phase | Intensity | Share | Main sources of emissions | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Extraction | most of the total; stage split not available in the sources used | – | fertiliser and diesel; land-use change in parts of Africa; low yields raise emissions per tonne | groundnuts fix nitrogen, so need little N fertiliser | Poore & Nemecek 2018 (Science), via Our World in Data (indicative) |
| Refining / processing | small to moderate | – | drying, shelling, blanching, roasting, crushing | shells fire boilers in Indian mills | indicative |
| Movement | small | – | truck to mandis and ports; container shipping of kernels | only a small share of output is traded | indicative |
| Usage | not in the boundary | – | snacks, cooking oil, peanut butter | not quantified | |
| Recycling / end of life | not applicable as recycling | – | shells to fuel and briquettes; haulms to cattle fodder; cake to feed | residues are almost fully used in India | content of this tile |
Other environmental impacts
Aflatoxin is the main health and trade risk. As a legume, groundnut adds nitrogen to the soil for the next crop.
Levers to cut emissions
- Higher yields in rain-fed India and Africa (India 2.11 t/ha vs China 4.03 t/ha in 2024, FAOSTAT)
- Fast drying and storage to cut aflatoxin losses
- Shell-fired energy at mills
India
India's mostly rain-fed kharif crop uses little nitrogen fertiliser because groundnut fixes its own, and residues (haulms, shells) are reused, but low yields of about 2.1 t/ha raise emissions per tonne (FAOSTAT 2024).
Emission figures are indicative global averages from the life-cycle studies named; actual footprints vary widely by site, energy mix and method.