Community effects associated with sunflower oil production: systematic review

Abstract This systematic review explores the multifaceted landscape of community issues in the context of sunflower oil production. As a crucial component of the agro-industrial sector, sunflower oil production significantly contributes to global edible oil supplies. However, the socio-economic dynamics within communities engaged in this industry are complex and warrant a comprehensive examination. The study synthesises existing literature to identify community issues around sunflower oil production by following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. This study extracted 68 articles from the Scopus database relating the diverse impacts of sunflower oil production on communities. It resulted in 10 articles to analyse, focusing on health and socio-economic dynamics. A review of 10 relevant articles revealed that most of the reviewed studies indicate positive effects in terms of health outcomes. Especially in resource-constrained settings, sunflower oil distribution contributes to improved infant care. However, a notable exception exists in a Mexican case where toxic substances were found in the breast milk of mothers consuming sunflower oil, emphasising the importance of safety regulations in production. On the socio-economic front, limited research exists, with only two articles addressing this aspect. Nevertheless, these studies highlight the potential for job creation and positive environmental outcomes associated with sunflower oil production.