Early humans, as hunter-gatherers, primarily relied on animal foods and some fruits. With the advancement of civilization, sedentism began, and agriculture emerged around 7000 to 10000 BC. This transformation increased dependence on plant cereals for energy and nutritional needs alongside animal sources. Initially, cereals formed the bulk of their staple food, but taste diversification and health considerations gradually expanded cultivation programs. It was this need that led humans to cultivate oilseeds, fiber plants, and other crops.
History of Oilseed Cultivation
The cultivation of oilseeds dates back to ancient times. Sanskrit texts from India in 2000 BC mention rapeseed and sesame. Oil extraction in the past was performed using batch methods: seeds were placed in jute sacks or boxes and pressed to extract oil. The extracted oil, after filtration, was used for both edible and non-edible purposes. The remaining cake was either used as animal feed or returned to the land to enhance soil fertility. Over time, diverse applications for oil and oil products in food and industrial domains were discovered.
Types of Oilseeds Worldwide
Approximately 40 types of oilseeds are known, but only 12 species have gained global commercial importance. These species include ten annual crops and three oil-bearing trees:
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Annual Crops: Peanut, rapeseed, mustard, sesame, soybean, sunflower, cottonseed, safflower, castor bean, and flax.
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Oil-bearing Trees: Oil palm, olive, and coconut.
Global Production Share
Among annual crops, soybean leads with a 62% share of global oilseed production (though, due to its lower oil content of about 18%, it is not classified as a primary source of vegetable oil). Following it are rapeseed, mustard, and peanut, each with a 13-14% share, and sunflower with 9%. These four crops collectively account for 98% of the global production of cultivated oilseeds. Castor bean, sesame, and flax make up the remaining 2%. Cottonseed is also an important source of edible oil, produced as a by-product of the textile industry.
Among perennial oil sources, palm oil has gained prominence in recent decades and is recognized as the world’s primary vegetable oil for food and industrial uses. The reasons for this are its high oil yield (about 8 tons per hectare) and an annual production close to 40 million tons. Coconut is also a versatile resource in tropical regions; from its dried form (copra, containing up to 65% oil), approximately 3.3 million tons of oil are extracted annually. Olive, with a production of 1.6 million tons, is cultivated mainly in the Mediterranean region.
Nutritional Value and Economic Importance
Seeds such as soybean, peanut, and sesame are directly used in nutrition and the production of nutritious food products, and even possess nutraceutical value. Components like oil (20-55%), protein (20-30%), carbohydrates (20-30%), minerals, and vitamins (5-10%) in oilseeds have diverse applications. These compounds play a key role in providing calories, essential fatty acids (EFAs), and essential amino acids (EAAs) for the human body.
In contrast, animal fats have adverse health effects, such as increasing blood cholesterol and obesity, and animal protein is expensive and inaccessible for a large segment of the population.
Beyond their role in nutrition (especially in global snacks like edible nuts), oilseeds hold significant economic importance as sources of oil, protein, and other compounds for food and industrial applications.
