The Contemporary Oil Market with a Focus on Plant Oil Trading

Abstract

In the first decade of the 21st century, oil plants gained in importance to humans and the economy thanks to their growing share in the overall crop structure. Oil plants provide seeds used for food and energy purposes. Edible fats obtained from the oil plants are used, among other things, to manufacture edible oils, or as a raw material for making margarines, confectionery and bakery products, and canned food products. The processing of oil containing raw materials and the production of edible fats are currently the most dynamically developing branches of the Polish food industry. The production of edible fats in Poland is determined mainly by the production of rapeseed and agrimony oils, and of margarine. Poland is one of the top manufacturers of rapeseed oil in Europe. From among the 27 countries of the EU, Poland produces the second highest amount of margarine, or 15% of the total. The paper characterises the fat market and trade in Poland, comparing it with the world and EU fat markets. It presents the import and export of individual fat types along with the scale of their production and consumption. It also notes that consumers more often choose edible plant fats over edible animal fats, a decision which can be attributed to the promotion of healthy lifestyles.