The sunflower is a large annual plant native to North America, now cultivated worldwide as one of the major oilseed crops. Its distinctive large flower heads track the sun during early growth, a behaviour known as heliotropism.
Sunflower seeds are the plant’s primary food product, used in two main ways: pressed into sunflower oil for cooking and food manufacturing, or sold as whole or shelled seeds for snacking and baking. Sunflower oil is one of the most widely used vegetable oils globally, valued for its mild flavour and high smoke point. The seeds are also processed into sunflower butter, a common alternative for people with nut allergies.
Sunflower meal, the byproduct of oil extraction, is used as animal feed. The crop plays an important role in agricultural rotations and is a significant source of income for farmers across Europe, the Americas, and parts of Asia and Africa.
How it's produced
Sunflowers are grown as an annual broadacre crop, planted in spring and harvested in late summer or autumn. They thrive in warm climates with well-drained soil and are relatively drought-tolerant once established. The plants are typically grown in large fields and can reach over two metres in height.
At harvest, the flower heads are cut by combine harvester once the seeds have matured and the heads have dried. The seeds are then cleaned, dried further if needed, and either sent to oil-pressing facilities or processed for the snack market. In Australia, sunflowers are grown mainly in Queensland and northern New South Wales.
What it costs the planet (per kilo)
* Based on what it takes to produce, from farm to factory gate.
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