What’s the carbon footprint of tomatoes?
Fruit or vegetable? Whichever side you’re on, we all agree that tomatoes are one of most-loved ingredients. Let’s explore the carbon footprint of tomatoes and how to choose the most sustainable tomatoes.
[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”4.19.5″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” width=”72%” width_tablet=”72%” width_phone=”85%” width_last_edited=”on|desktop” custom_padding=”7px|||||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” _builder_version=”4.20.2″ text_font=”||||||||” link_font_size=”20px” link_line_height=”2.3em” header_font=”||||||||” header_text_align=”center” header_line_height=”3.3em” header_2_line_height=”1.1em” header_3_text_color=”#F70B8B” header_3_font_size=”30px” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” hover_enabled=”0″ header_font_size_tablet=”40px” header_font_size_phone=”35px” header_font_size_last_edited=”on|phone” global_colors_info=”{}” header_3_font_size__hover_enabled=”off|desktop” sticky_enabled=”0″]Carbon Footprint of Tomatoes
Let’s compare the carbon footprint of tomatoes to other food items.
A medium tomato (80g) produces 230g CO₂e*
That’s…
228% more an apple
20% more than half an avocado
8% less than an orange
87% less than a tuna fillet
equivalent to charging 28 smartphones
*CO₂e means carbon dioxide equivalent and measures total greenhouse gases
[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type="1_2" _builder_version="4.20.2" _module_preset="default" global_colors_info="{}"][et_pb_image src="http://thefloopapp.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/carbon-footprint-tomatoes.webp" alt="A purple footprint with 230g demonstrates the carbon footprint of tomatoes. A red tomato sits to the left of it." title_text="carbon-footprint-tomatoes" align="center" _builder_version="4.20.2" _module_preset="default" max_width="62%" hover_enabled="0" global_colors_info="{}" sticky_enabled="0"][/et_pb_image][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version="4.20.2" _module_preset="default" custom_padding="||27px|||" global_colors_info="{}"][et_pb_column type="4_4" _builder_version="4.20.2" _module_preset="default" global_colors_info="{}"][et_pb_text _builder_version="4.20.2" _module_preset="default" header_4_text_color="#F70B8B" global_colors_info="{}"]Get the Floop app and discover the carbon footprint of even more ingredients
[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.20.0″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”-1px|auto||auto||” custom_padding=”|||3px||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.20.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.20.2″ _module_preset=”default” header_3_font_size=”20px” custom_padding=”|26px||2px||” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]Where does the carbon footprint of tomatoes come from?
Most tomatoes eaten in the UK grow in large greenhouses either locally in Britain or abroad. Life cycle assessments show us the overall carbon footprint of tomatoes and where most emissions come from.
Heated greenhouses
Commercially-farmed tomatoes are grown in heated greenhouses which are usually heated to maintain a stable temperature. If the energy used to heat these greenhouses isn’t renewable, like from solar panels or wind turbines, lots of greenhouse gas emissions are produced.
Packaging
Tomato packaging also contributes to the carbon footprint of tomatoes. For example, when you buy canned tomatoes, they have been processed in a factory. The sorting, separating, heating, and storing processes for tomatoes are energy-intensive and produce greenhouse gas emissions.
Temperature-controlled transport
The growing season for tomatoes in the UK is short, so most tomatoes in supermarkets are imported. They travel long distances to get to your home in temperature-controlled trucks to keep the tomatoes from spoiling. Cold-chain transportation trucks need energy to power refrigerators, alongside the fuel to run the engine for long distances. This makes the carbon footprint of tomatoes bigger compared to other fruits and vegetables.
Where do tomatoes come from?
Demand for tomatoes in the UK is high as each Brit eats two fresh tomatoes in an average week. This means relying on imported tomatoes to meet the demand.
The majority of imported tomatoes come from countries like Morocco, the Netherlands, and Spain. And it’s big business, too. Statista valued these tomato imports into the UK at 451.3 million (GBP) in 2021.
[/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.20.2″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”|||4px||” global_colors_info=”{}”]Can you grow tomatoes in the UK?
Tomatoes grow readily in the UK. The British tomato season runs from June to October. This time is when tomatoes are naturally ripe and ready to harvest. You can easily try growing tomato plants in your garden or home.
Tomatoes can be grown in the UK outside of the natural tomato season inside heated greenhouses. However, these tomatoes have a higher carbon footprint than in-season tomatoes. Heated greenhouses need lots of energy and produce significantly more greenhouse gas emissions, even compared to transporting tomatoes from another country.
[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.20.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.20.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.20.2″ _module_preset=”default” width=”97.3%” custom_padding=”|||0px||” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]Are there other ways tomatoes impact the environment?
Yes. Although the carbon footprint of tomatoes is lower than many other ingredients, tomato production still impacts the environment in other ways.
As with avocados, food standards for tomatoes mean that the supply chain throws a lot of tomatoes away before they even reach the supermarket.
Tomatoes also need lots of fresh water. In fact, four litres per kilo of fresh tomatoes. Water stress is a problem in Almería in southern Spain where many tomatoes grow. The area relies on an underground water supply which is being used up quickly by irrigation. There are ideas to use local seawater but this takes time, planning and major costs.
Other issues include fertiliser use which pollutes lakes and rivers and degrades soil. We often think of animal agriculture using lots of land but greenhouses take up a lot of space too. In Spain, tomato greenhouses use the space of 10,000 football fields!
[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.20.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.20.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.20.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]Tips for choosing more sustainable tomatoes
You can still enjoy tomatoes as part of a sustainable diet. Our main tip for eating tomatoes sustainably include:
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Eat seasonally. Make the most of the British tomato season. Try to enjoy tomatoes when they’re in their natural peak season in the UK.
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Grow your own. Enjoy fresh, perfectly ripe tomatoes from your own tomato plant. Caring for tomato plants helps you appreciate the energy and resources that go into growing food. A great way to raise awareness of food waste.
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Choose organic. Organic tomatoes are fertiliser-free. You can often pick up organic produce in your local supermarket or farm shops but they come with a higher price tag. If you can afford to try organic, give it a go to reduce tomatoes’ environmental impact from fertilisers and pesticides.
Sustainable recipes using tomatoes
- Enjoy the UK’s tomato season with our Summer Tomato & Fennel Soup Recipe.
- Save emissions by making fish-free ceviche with tomato and olive oil.