Oilseeds occupy an important place in global agriculture by providing vegetable oils and high-protein meals for food, feed, and industrial uses. The leading oilseed crops by volume of world production are soybean, cottonseed, peanut, sunflower, rapeseed (canola), copra (coconut), and palm. The combined world production of these major oilseed crops in 2001–2002 was 324 million metric tons (MT) (1). Soybeans constitute the largest share of the world oilseed supply, accounting for 57% of global production in 2001–2002. The United States, Brazil, Argentina, People’s Republic of China, and India dominate world soybean production. Together, these countries account for approximately 90% of the world soybean crop. Production of other oilseed crops is widely distributed throughout the world.