Case EU market opportunities: Vegetable oils - technical use

Treating by-products, waste or materials in production processes differently can sometimes present market opportunities. Many developing countries are rich in renewable resources, and more importantly, manufacturers often have the indigenous knowledge how to process these resources in a sustainable way.

The case in the downloadable document deals with vegetable oils (VOFAs). More than 300 plant species are suitable for the production of vegetable oil. However, only about 8 to 10 oil crops are grown on a large scale, producing vegetable fats and oils that are used mainly for nutritional uses, but also for technical uses. The most important oil producing plant worldwide is soy; it accounts for more than one quarter of the world vegetable oil supply. The case is not meant to give ready-made market plans, but should provide a practical example.