Driving through the Darling Downs recently, I passed through vast seas of bright yellow flowers—hectares upon hectares of canola. At first glance, it looks beautiful. But dig deeper, and the story isn’t nearly so golden. Much of this canola is genetically modified (GMO), grown from seeds purchased from multinational seed companies. Farmers are required to buy new seed each planting season, locking them into dependency on corporate suppliers rather than saving seed the way farming families used to for generations.
What is Canola Used For?
Canola is grown for two main purposes:
- Oil production – refined into canola oil, one of the most widely used vegetable oils in the world.
- Animal feed – the leftover meal after oil extraction is fed to livestock, including feedlot cattle.
In the Darling Downs, much of the canola crop ends up in feed for nearby intensive (feedlot) livestock operations, continuing the cycle of industrial agriculture.
The Problems with GMO Canola
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Seed dependence: Farmers must buy seed each year under technology agreements. Re-planting saved seed is prohibited.
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Chemical treadmill: GMO canola varieties are often bred for herbicide tolerance (e.g. glyphosate), leading to increased chemical use. Over time, weeds develop resistance, pushing farmers to spray more often, with more potent mixes.
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Loss of biodiversity: Large monocultures of canola crowd out more diverse farming systems, weakening soil health and resilience.
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Decline of beneficial insects: Heavy pesticide use doesn’t just target weeds; it also harms pollinators like bees and other beneficial insects that keep ecosystems in balance. Without them, both crop yields and surrounding biodiversity suffer.
- Soil microbial disruption: Frequent chemical inputs alter the delicate microbial communities under the soil. These microbes play a key role in nutrient cycling, water retention, and plant health. When their balance is disturbed, soil becomes less resilient and more dependent on synthetic inputs.
Health Impacts for Humans
While the industry promotes canola oil as “heart-healthy,” there are real concerns:
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Refined and industrially processed: Canola oil is extracted using high heat and chemical solvents (often hexane). This process strips nutrients and can generate oxidation by-products.
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High in omega-6 fatty acids: Modern diets already skew heavily toward omega-6. Excess intake contributes to inflammation, linked to heart disease, obesity, diabetes, and other chronic illnesses.
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GMO residues: Studies raise questions about the long-term impacts of consuming genetically modified oils and the chemicals used in their cultivation. While regulators approve GMO canola as “safe,” the absence of long-term, independent studies leaves room for concern.
- Pesticide exposure: GMO canola is commonly sprayed with glyphosate and other herbicides. Residues can remain in the final oil, and chronic exposure to these chemicals has been associated with health concerns like potential neurotoxic and reproductive effects, links to certain cancers like non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and damage to the nervous system, gut microbiome, and DNA.. Even at low levels, cumulative dietary exposure to pesticides is a growing concern for public health.
In short, despite its marketing as a “healthy” oil, canola is a highly processed product that bears little resemblance to a natural, nourishing fat. Traditional oils like olive oil, coconut oil, or animal fats from pasture-raised animals are far closer to what our bodies evolved to consume.
Where You’ll Find Canola Oil
Canola oil hides in more products than most people realise. Look out for it in:
- Margarine and “vegetable oil spreads”
- Mayonnaise and salad dressings
- Sauces, marinades, and dips
- Snack foods like chips, crackers, and biscuits
- Breads and baked goods
- Pre-packaged ready meals
- Plant-based milks and protein powders
- Even some “health” foods and organic-labelled products
Always check the label. If you see “canola oil” (sometimes listed as “vegetable oil”), think twice.
🐄 Health Impacts for Cattle
Cattle aren’t designed to eat canola meal, or any industrial by-product feed for that matter. Their rumens are built for grass. When canola meal is fed in large amounts:
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Digestive issues: Can arise, including bloat and acidosis, similar to grain feeding.
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Residue concerns: GMO proteins and chemical residues from canola cultivation can carry through into the meal, raising questions about animal health and, ultimately, human consumption of their meat.
- Nutrient imbalance: While canola meal is protein-rich, it’s not a natural feed source. Ruminants thrive on diverse pastures, not processed by-products of monoculture crops.
At the end of the day, cows were made to eat grass—not chemicals, not the by-product of a GMO, chemically produced crop. And it raises an uncomfortable question: how much of those pesticides are making their way into the meat on your plate?
Once again, efficiency drives the system. By using canola meal, feedlots can cheaply supplement rations. But what’s efficient for the industry isn’t necessarily what’s best for the animals, or for us.
The Bigger Picture
The bright yellow fields of canola are more than just a picturesque landscape. They represent a farming system locked into corporate seed sales, chemical inputs, monoculture cropping, and intensive feedlot operations downstream. Every part of this chain has consequences:
- For farmers, who lose independence and resilience.
- For animals, fed diets that don’t suit their biology.
- For consumers, who are misled into thinking canola oil is “healthy” when it’s anything but.
- For the environment, monocultures degrade soil, fuel chemical resistance and reduce biodiversity.
Our Commitment to You
At Spray-Free Farmacy, we’re just as cautious about canola oil as you are. That’s why:
- We check every label on the products we stock.
- You’ll never find canola oil in anything we sell.
- When we say “good food,” we mean nourishing food that’s grown and prepared with integrity.
The Takeaway
The yellow fields of GMO canola may look beautiful and golden, but the story behind them is one of corporate control, chemical dependence, questionable health impacts, and unnatural livestock feeding practices.
Check your labels. Avoid canola oil. And rest assured that when you shop with us, you’re safe from this product. Choose real food, grown by real farmers, with nothing to hide.
See our range of canola oil alternatives and healthy grocery staples here.
References:
The Non-GMO Project. (n.d.). GMOs and farmers. Retrieved from https://www.nongmoproject.org/blog/gmofacts/gmos-and-farmers/
Canola Council of Canada. (n.d.). Herbicide-Tolerant Canola. Retrieved from https://www.canolacouncil.org/biotech/about-canola/herbicide-tolerant-canola
Verywell Health. (2025, August 15). The Debate Over Canola Oil Safety. Retrieved from https://www.verywellhealth.com/canola-oil-8407170
Healthline. (2023, January 10). Is Canola Oil Good for You, or Bad? Retrieved from https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/is-canola-oil-healthy
McCormick, J., & Cusack, P. (2021, February). Grazing cattle on dual purpose crops – managing health risks. Grains Research & Development Corporation (GRDC). https://grdc.com.au/resources-and-publications/grdc-update-papers/tab-content/grdc-update-papers/2021/02/grazing-cattle-on-dual-purpose-crops-managing-health-risks
ScienceDirect. (2005, March 15). Herbicide tolerant canola systems and their impact on winter crop rotations. Retrieved from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378429010000572
