According to US Department of Agriculture (USDA) statistics, the production of nine vegetable oils from seven seeds and from palm fruit and olive was 153 million tonnes worldwide in 2010/11 (Table 1.1). In addition, production of four animal fats (butter, lard, tallow and fish oil) amounted to about 25 million tonnes. Over time, animal fats have fallen in market share, and they now make up only 15% of total annual production. Among vegetable oils, palm, soya, rape and sun oils have become increasingly important, with palm and soya dominant (Table 1.1). It is interesting that these four vegetable oils are produced in different parts of the world (Table 1.2). It should also be noted that crops grown in the southern and northern hemispheres are harvested at different times of the year, with the exception that palm oil is produced in all months of the year. This is particularly significant for soybeans, grown predominately in North and South America. Palm oil and olive oil are obtained by pressing the fruits in the countries where they grow, and trade is confined to the oil or to downstream products. Exports/imports of vegetable oils represent 41% of total production, but there is also considerable trade in unprocessed seeds (24%), especially in soybeans, with extraction occurring in the importing country. Oils and fats are used mainly for food purposes, but both oilseeds and extracted oil are also used in some part as animal feed. Oils also have industrial uses. Traditionally, these have been mainly in the production of soap and other surface-active molecules, but increasingly they are for energyproducing purposes, such as transport use by automobiles, trains, aeroplanes