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Carbon footprint of onions & leeks
Onions & leeks has a footprint of about 0.5 kg CO2e per kilogram (50 g per 100 g). See how it compares and a lower-impact swap.
How onions & leeks compares
At about 0.5 kg of CO2-equivalent per kilogram, onions & leeks ranks 19 of 24 foods on this list, where number one is the highest-impact. That puts it among the lower-impact foods on the list, close to fruit and vegetables. It is lower than chicken (about 6 kg/kg).
A lower-impact swap
Already very low.
Where it sits on the scale
| Food | Group | ≈ kg CO2e / kg |
|---|---|---|
| Bananas | Fruit | 0.8 |
| Potatoes | Staple | 0.5 |
| ➤ Onions & leeks | Vegetable | 0.5 |
| Cabbage & broccoli | Vegetable | 0.5 |
| Apples | Fruit | 0.4 |
A median estimate that varies widely by farm and method — a guide, not a precise figure for a particular product.
Source: Poore, J. & Nemecek, T. (2018), Science 360, 987–992. · checked 2026-09-04
Frequently asked questions
What is the carbon footprint of onions & leeks?
About 0.5 kg of CO2-equivalent per kilogram, or roughly 50 g per 100 g — a median estimate across the whole supply chain.
What is a lower-impact alternative to onions & leeks?
Already very low.
Track the food, mind the footprint
TempoLife logs what you eat and its nutrition — an easy place to try lower-impact swaps.