World oilseed production

Although soybeans contribute about one-half of the world production of oilseeds, they supply less than one-third of the total edible vegetable fats and oils (Table 11) because of their relatively low oil content. Nonetheless, production of soybean oil exceeds the combined production of cottonseed, peanut, and sunflower seed oils. 

Table 14. World Production of Oilseed Protein Meals, t x 10 ...

Sesame is grown mainly in China, India, Africa, South-east Asia and Mexico as an oil crop. It is known as the queen of the oilseed crops because of the excellent culinary properties of the oil (Ravindran and Blair, 1992). Due to an increasing demand for sesame oil, world production of sesame has increased. The major producers are India, China, Sudan, Burma and Mexico. Sesame is a crop of the tropics, but its extension into the temperate zone has been made possible through breeding of suitable varieties. After oil extraction the meal can be used for animal feeding. Sesame meal is not of significant importance for poultry feeding, however. 

Table 2.1 World production (2006) of major oilseed crops (FAOSTAT) and typical oil contents for oil crops widely used by industry...

The organ fats of domestic animals, such as cattle and hogs, and milk fat are important raw materials for fat production. Edible oils are mostly of plant origin. Olive oil and palm oil are extracted from fruits. All other oils are extracted from oilseeds. The world production of oilseeds and other crops has significantly increased in recent years to meet the growing needs for oils and fats in the world. 

If one considers that soybean is produced for protein, it can be concluded that canola production ranks first in terms of true oilseed production. The United States, Brazil, and Argentina together produced about 75% of all soybean seeds. The world production of soybean oil is in the top position followed by palm and canola/rapeseed among major oils and fats (Figure 4) (75, 151). 

More than 60 years ago, the average world production of flaxseed was about 3.4 million metric tons (MMT), which was more than sunflower, 2.5 MMT, and slightly lower than rapeseed, 3.8 MMT. In the same period, soybean was produced at a level of 12.6 MMT (4). In those years, flaxseed was the third-most produced oilseed in the world by volume. Since then, world production of flaxseed has remained between 2 and 3 MMT, and the production of other oilseeds has increased considerably (4). In 2000-2001, world production of flaxseed was 2.34 MMT, with Canada being the largest producer and exporter of this oilseed (See graph in Canola chapter). 

World production of sunflower seed (7%) was third in the world production of oilseeds in 2001-2002, after soybean (57%) and canola seeds (11%). Production of soybean being by far the largest, sunflower seed production does not amount to much of the world total oilseed production (129). 

L. Lin, K. C. Rhee, and S. S. Koseoglu, in Advances in Oils and Fats, Anti-oxidants, and Oilseed By-Products, vol. 2, in Proceedings of the World Conference on Oilseed and Edible Oils Processing, S. S. Koseoglu, K. C. Rhee, and R. F. Wilson, eds., AOCS Press, Champaign, Illinois, 1996, pp. 76-82. 

Kimber, D.S., and D.I. McGregor. 1995. Brassica oilseeds. The species and their origin, cultivation and world production. In Brassica Oilseeds Production and Utilization. D.S. Kimber and D.I. McGregor, Eds. Wallingford, U.K. CAB International. 

Soybeans are the number one oilseed crop world-wide. In 2005, a total of 210 mio metric tonnes of soybean were produced. Relatively few countries produce soybeans the USA accounts for more than 40% of the world production, with Brazil, Argentina and China together accounting for an additional 55%. In Europe, Italy, Russia and the Ukraine are the main producer countries. In the USA, Brazil and Argentina, the most widely planted soybeans are genetically modified varieties (GMO), which are tolerant against the herbicide glyphosate. 

Figure 9.1.3 Oilseeds world area and production (reproduced with permission of 1ST A Mielke Oil World, Hamburg).

Rapeseed ranks fifth in world production of oilseed crops, surpassed only by soybean, sunflower seed, cottonseed, and peanut. It is a major source of dietary fat in many countries. Fifty countries are known to import rapeseed oil and 16 countries are major producers. Rapeseed oil has been used by humans for many centuries as a safe and acceptable dietary source of vegetable oil. 

Other somewhat less-rich sources of lecithin are cottonseed, rapeseed and sunflower oils, but palm oil contains very little (Figure 12.31). Soya beans account for over half the world production of all oilseeds and vegetable oils. The United States is the largest soya producer ( 60%) and Brazil the second ( 20%) (Tables 12.44 and 12.45). 

World production of major oilseeds has increased from 331 million tonnes to 529 million tonnes in the last decade, whereas the harvested area has increased from 186 million acres to 234 million acres in the same period. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), soybean oilseeds represent over half of the total production of oilseeds and are mainly grown in Brazil, USA and At entina followed by rapeseed (grown in European Union (EU)-27, Canada and China), cottonseed (China and India) and sunflower oilseeds (Ukraine, EU-27 and Russia). Figure 1.1 shows the total production projection of major oilseeds around the world for 2014/2015. 

Vegetable oils derived from the processing of oilseeds account for about 70% of the world s edible oils and fat production, the remainder being animal fats (30%), which include fish oils (2%). Out of the total world production of major oils and fats, about 80% is consumed as human food, a further 6% is used for animal feed, leaving 14% for the oleochemical industry (Richter and Knaut, 1984). 

The other major product of oilseed crops is a high protein meal, usually produced by expelling or extracting the oil from the seed. Total world production of high protein meals from oilseeds is approximately 180 million tons per year. The predominant oilseed meal is soybean meal containing approximately 44% protein. While there are some industrial uses for this meal, the bulk of it is fed to animals. 

Data on the production of oilseeds and other crops are summarized in Table 14.0. The world production of vegetable fats has multiplied since the time before the Second World War (Table 14.1). There has been a significant rise in production since 1964 of soybean, palm and sunflower oils, as well as rapeseed oil. Soybean oil, butter and edible beef fat and lard are most commonly produced in FR Germany (Table 14.1). The per capita consumption of plant oils in Germany has increased in the past years (Table 14.2). 

World Production of Major Oilseeds (in Million Tonnes)... 

Coconut has high productivity and production consistency compared with other oilseed crops and is also less susceptible to abnormal climatic conditions. World production of coconut has been estimated at 61.7 million tons (MT) with an average yield of 5.2ton/ha. The top three producers are Indonesia, the Philippines and India, which account for 75% of global production. Of the 77 African, Caribbean and Pacific member conntries, 47 produced 4.59 MT of coconuts on 1.7 million hectares, representing 7.4% of world production. 

Soybeans are the predominant oilseed crop in the world, providing one-half of the total oilseed production (Table 7). Cottonseed is second. Worldwide, rapeseed is in third place, but this is stiU a minor oilseed in the United States. Peanuts and sunflower are fourth and fifth, respectively. Since becoming estabhshed as a crop in the United States, soybeans have shown phenomenal growth and contribute significantly to the agricultural economy (Table 8). 

Soybeans are the most important oilseed in international trade. The United States, Bra2il, and Argentina are the main suppHers to the export markets. In 1994—1995, United States exports of 22.0 x 10 metric tons represented 32% of the domestic production, 16% of the world crop, and 69% of the international trade in soybeans. The European Union, Japan, Mexico, and Taiwan were the largest importers of soybeans (51). Japan, which produces <5% of its soybean needs, is the largest single soybean customer of the United States. Japan imported 3.4 x 10 t in 1994 (51). The United States also exports processed soybean products, eg, oil and meal. For 1990—1993, an average of 47% of the crop was exported as whole beans and processed products. 

From a global view, plant protein sources (cereals, legumes, oilseeds, vegetables, fruits) have always been the primary source of dietary energy and protein for the majority of the world s population. In addition, in recent years, the use of vegetable protein products as sources of dietary protein, as supplements, and as extenders of more traditional animal protein sources has been increasing markedly in the developed countries. These factors are responsible for our interest in determining the effects of plant protein sources on the utilization of minerals in the human diet. 

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