Comprehensive Review of Life Cycle Carbon Footprint in Edible Vegetable Oils: Current Status, Impact Factors, and Mitigation Strategies

Shuang Zhao, Sheng Yang, Qi Huang, Haochen Zhu, Junqing Xu, Dan Fu and Guangming Li ()
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Shuang Zhao: State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092, China
Sheng Yang: Shanghai Light Industry Research Institute, Shanghai 200031, China
Qi Huang: Shanghai Light Industry Research Institute, Shanghai 200031, China
Haochen Zhu: State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092, China
Junqing Xu: State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092, China
Dan Fu: Shanghai Light Industry Research Institute, Shanghai 200031, China
Guangming Li: State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092, China

Waste, 2025, vol. 3, issue 3, 1-27

Abstract: Amidst global climate change, carbon emissions across the edible vegetable oil supply chain are critical for sustainable development. This paper systematically reviews the existing literature, employing life cycle assessment (LCA) to analyze key factors influencing carbon footprints at stages including cultivation, processing, and transportation. It reveals the differential impacts of fertilizer application, energy structures, and regional policies. Unlike previous reviews that focus on single crops or regions, this study uniquely integrates global data across major edible oils, identifying three critical gaps: methodological inconsistency (60% of studies deviate from the requirements and guidelines for LCA); data imbalance (80% concentrated on soybean/rapeseed); weak policy-technical linkage. Key findings: fertilizer emissions dominate cultivation (40–60% of total footprint), while renewable energy substitution in processing reduces emissions by 35%. Future efforts should prioritize multidisciplinary integration, enhanced data infrastructure, and policy scenario analysis to provide scientific insights for the low-carbon transformation of the global edible oil industry.

Keywords: edible vegetable oil; life cycle assessment; carbon footprint; influencing factors; mitigation strategies (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q16 Q18 Q2 Q20 Q23 Q24 Q25 Q28 Q3 Q31 Q38 Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jwaste:v:3:y:2025:i:3:p:26-:d:1718710

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