Canola oil is one of the most widely used vegetable oils in the world. It’s affordable, neutral-tasting, and found in everything from bottled salad dressings to baked goods and frozen foods. While it's often marketed as a heart-healthy cooking option, fewer people consider its environmental impact.
Like other large-scale industrial crops, the production of canola oil comes with trade-offs. From genetically modified seed use to monocropping and pesticide reliance, canola’s rise in popularity has had measurable effects on ecosystems and agricultural sustainability.
If you’re striving to live a more environmentally conscious and low-tox lifestyle, understanding how oils like canola are grown and processed is just as important as what you cook them in.
What Is Canola Oil, Really?
Canola oil is derived from a variety of rapeseed that was selectively bred to reduce its natural levels of erucic acid—a compound that can be harmful in high amounts. Most canola today is produced in Canada, the U.S., and Australia.
Although it’s often considered “vegetable oil,” canola is almost always processed using chemical solvents (usually hexane), high heat, and refining agents to remove odors, colors, and free fatty acids.
This heavy processing also contributes to its environmental impact.
Monocropping and Soil Depletion
Canola is typically grown in large-scale monocultures, meaning entire fields are planted with just one crop. While this is efficient for industrial farming, it comes at a cost.
Monocropping:
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Depletes soil of key nutrients over time
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Increases reliance on synthetic fertilizers
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Disrupts natural biodiversity in farming ecosystems
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Makes crops more vulnerable to pests, leading to increased pesticide use
When soil health is compromised, it affects water retention, carbon sequestration, and overall food system resilience. Long-term monoculture farming degrades land and requires more inputs to maintain yields.
Heavy Use of Herbicides and Pesticides
Most conventional canola grown today is genetically modified to withstand glyphosate-based herbicides. While this allows farmers to spray fields without damaging the crop, it has significant environmental consequences.
Impacts include:
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Development of herbicide-resistant “superweeds”
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Residue runoff into nearby waterways
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Declines in pollinator populations due to chemical exposure
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Bioaccumulation of synthetic chemicals in soil and wildlife
These agricultural chemicals affect more than the fields they’re sprayed on. They can leach into groundwater, disrupt ecosystems, and threaten biodiversity in surrounding areas.
Energy-Intensive Processing
Canola oil requires extensive processing before it ends up in your kitchen. This includes:
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Mechanical pressing
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Solvent extraction using hexane
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Deodorization and bleaching
These steps use a considerable amount of energy and contribute to greenhouse gas emissions. In comparison to cold-pressed oils like olive or avocado, canola has a larger environmental footprint per liter produced.
Additionally, chemical solvents like hexane are volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that can contribute to air pollution when not carefully managed.
Packaging Waste and Industrial Demand
Most canola oil is sold in plastic bottles or used in bulk by commercial food processors and restaurants. Both contribute to environmental waste:
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Plastic packaging often ends up in landfills or the ocean
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Industrial-scale oil use increases demand for high-yield, chemical-dependent farming
The scale of global canola production feeds into a system designed for mass consumption, not long-term sustainability.
Are There Better Alternatives?
From an environmental standpoint, oils that are:
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Grown without monocropping
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Produced using regenerative or organic practices
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Cold-pressed and unrefined
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Packaged in glass or bulk containers
…are generally more sustainable options.
These include:
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Olive oil (especially organic and cold-pressed)
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Avocado oil (when sourced from ethical growers)
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Coconut oil (best when grown on small, diversified farms)
Each oil has its own footprint, but choosing minimally processed, sustainably sourced oils is one of the easiest ways to reduce your environmental impact in the kitchen.
What You Cook With Matters
While canola oil might be affordable and convenient, its widespread use comes with environmental consequences that often go unnoticed. From soil degradation and pesticide reliance to energy-intensive processing and plastic packaging, the environmental cost of canola oil adds up.
Choosing alternatives that are better for the planet doesn’t mean overhauling your pantry overnight. It means becoming more aware of how our everyday ingredients impact the systems around us—and making small, smarter shifts where we can.
Every low-tox kitchen starts with informed choices. Choosing cleaner oils, using long-lasting kitchen tools like the TitanCut Titanium Cutting Board, and reducing unnecessary waste all move you closer to a more sustainable home.