Cereal, worldwide consumption

Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) is one of the most important cereals worldwide. Barley can be cultivated in highly diverse geographical regions from subarctic to subtropical. In 2012, global barley production was over 132million tonnes (http //faostat.fao. org/site/567/default.aspx). The largest value-added use for barley is the production of malt (Schwarz Li, 2011). Malted barley provides the basis of most beers in the world. Approximately 13% of the barley produced worldwide is processed into malt. The rest is used as animal feed or for other human consumption. 

Oats are now a minor cereal crop in Enrope though the EU is the second largest producer worldwide. The higher yields of wheat, as well as no intervention support for oats, have been the main factors affecting the declining oat area. Two-thirds of the UK crop is milled for human consumption. 

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