The humble peanut has been hailed as one of the world’s most sustainable foods, by the US Sustainability Alliance, thanks to four main reasons:
- The peanut plant replenishes soil with nitrogen – so it needs less fertiliser, as do any crops that follow it, resulting in less greenhouse gas emissions.
- Its roots travel so deep that they draw from water unreachable by many other plants – so less irrigation is needed.
- Advances in seed breeding are leading to increased yields – making it a more efficient crop.
- Biodiesel is made from peanut oil.
The alliance also points out peanuts’ nutritional benefits, and that there are no genetically modified peanuts in the US market. Interestingly, it also states that peanut butter is the most requested food in American food banks.
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The humble peanut has been hailed as one of the world’s most sustainable foods, by the US Sustainability Alliance, thanks to four main reasons:
- The peanut plant replenishes soil with nitrogen – so it needs less fertiliser, as do any crops that follow it, resulting in less greenhouse gas emissions.
- Its roots travel so deep that they draw from water unreachable by many other plants – so less irrigation is needed.
- Advances in seed breeding are leading to increased yields – making it a more efficient crop.
- Biodiesel is made from peanut oil.
The alliance also points out peanuts’ nutritional benefits, and that there are no genetically modified peanuts in the US market. Interestingly, it also states that peanut butter is the most requested food in American food banks.