In 2021, a state of emergency was declared due to COVID-19 and Priority Preventive Measures were implemented to stop the spread of the disease. However, due in part to an increased vaccination rate, the emergency declaration and measures were completely repealed in at the end of September. Nevertheless, continuing from 2020, the entirety of Japanese society and the economy were significantly impacted in 2021. The vegetable oil industry worked to fulfill our responsibility to stably supply safe and secure products during the COVID-19 pandemic. Under such circumstances, 2021 was a year of implementing price revisions in order to maintain a stable supply due to the soaring prices of raw materials caused by tight supply and demand. In terms of product demand, although the decline in commercial use continued due to the sluggish food service industry, household demand continued to grow due to changes in lifestyle and eating habits, and demand for premium oil continued to grow. The Top 10 News Stories in the Vegetable Oil Industry for 2021 reflect these conditions. We can only hope that more of the top 10 news reports next year are happier stories.
| Ranking | Item |
| 1 | Oil refiners work on a series of prices revisions in response to rapeseed futures reaching record highs, tightening supply and demand of soybeans due to the use of biotechnology, etc., and soaring palm oil prices due to labor shortages. |
| 2 | Household demand continues to be strong due to the new lifestyle and changes in eating habits caused by people refraining from going out in response to a total of four states of emergency made in order to prevent the spread of COVID, while demand for commercial use continues to decrease due to the sluggish food service industry. |
| 3 | There was increased demand for biofuels derived from vegetable oils from the perspective of global warming countermeasures, and the food crisis problem (food or energy?) became more serious. On the other hand, the increase in demand for biofuels for used cooking oil will tighten the supply and demand for used cooking oil. |
| 4 | Demand for premium oils such as rice and sesame oil will continue to grow against the backdrop of rising demand for cooking at home. Attention is focused on the health functions and ingredients of fats and oils such as omega 3 and sesamin. |
| 5 | Started considering the establishment of an oil extraction joint venture in western Japan with the aim of building a stable supply system for oil extraction over a long period of time. |
| 6 | The plant-based food (soybean meat, veggie meat, vegetable cheese, etc.) market continues to grow against the backdrop of population growth and environmental problems. |
| 7 | The Act on Promotion of Resource Circulation for Plastics was passed (effective April 2022). This law requires the participation of all citizens to reduce plastic waste and to promote/strengthen recycling. In the oil and fat industry, the introduction of environmentally-friendly containers is progressing for household products. |
| 8 | Due to factors such as economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, there will be a global shortage of containers and sea freight rates will rise for the first time in more than 10 years. |
| 9 | Japan held the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The outstanding performance by Japanese athletes has drawn attention to the menu served at the Olympic Village and the food that creates the athletes’ bodies. |
| 10 | The Cabinet decided on the Plan for Global Warming Countermeasures and the Sixth Strategic Energy Plan, which aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in 2030 by 46% and the industrial sector by 38% compared to fiscal 2013. |
Note: The Top 10 News stories for the year are chosen by votes from 9 oil production industry trade paper companies and the chairman of the Japan Oilseed Processors Association.
