Instability of trade in oil-seeds, oil nuts and oil kernels

There are three main markets for oilseeds -- as food, animal feed and raw material in industrial processes. The principle oilseeds include rape, linseed, sunflower, soybeans and olives -- all of which are produced in temperate countries. Tropical oilseeds palm and coconut. The main exporting countries include Brazil (soya meal and soybeans), Indonesia (palm oil), Philippines (coconut oil) and Malaysia (palm kernel). The USA is also a large exporter of soybeans.

Oilseeds are increasingly grown for agricultural purposes substitutes for fossil oil inputs to fuel production, bioplastics, inks and pharmaceuticals. Such production is often seen by its proponents as being environmental beneficial, either because oil from seeds is renewable or because the products are more readily biodegradable.