Nutritionists, Food Scientists & Farmers in India - Edible Oil Crisis

Every evening across India, oil hits a pan. We don't think much about it — but maybe we should. India now spends ₹1.7 TRILLION a year importing edible oils. That's more than our entire agricultural budget. We import 60% of what we consume. And per capita consumption has tripled since 1980 — from 4 kg to 12 kg per person per year. Meanwhile, international prices are up 23% year-on-year. This carousel is a deep dive into something sitting in every Indian kitchen — and why it matters far more than we realise. Swipe through to explore 👇 → The scale of India's edible oil dependency → Cold-pressed vs solvent-extracted: what's actually different → The health research behind the debate → A price reality check (spoiler: the gap is closing) → The structural crisis behind the crisis → 6 practical things you can do today —— The uncomfortable truth is that there's no simple villain here. Refined solvent-extracted oil exists for a reason — it's efficient, affordable, and accessible to a billion people. Cold-pressed oil is nutritionally superior but not universally affordable. What IS clear: India's oilseed farmers are underserved, our import dependence is a national vulnerability, and our rising burden of cardiovascular disease is — at least in part — a dietary story. The oil in your pan connects global commodity markets, small farmer livelihoods, and your family's long-term health. That deserves more than a price check at the kirana store. —— A few facts that stayed with me while making this: ▪ In 2010, a litre of refined oil cost ₹60. Today it's ₹145–180. ▪ Cold-pressed oils retain 40–60% more micronutrients than refined equivalents. ▪ India's cardiovascular disease burden is estimated at $17 billion annually. ▪ Oilseed farmers in India largely work on rain-fed, marginal land — with no MSP support comparable to wheat or rice. —— What's your household's approach to cooking oil? Have you made the switch to cold-pressed, or is price the deciding factor? I'd love to hear from nutritionists, food scientists, farmers, and anyone thinking seriously about food systems in India. 👇 #EdibleOils #FoodSystems #PublicHealth #IndiaAgriculture #ColdPressedOil #NutritionFacts #FoodPolicy #KachiGhani #HealthyEating #MadeInIndia #FoodSecurity #SustainableIndia