Germany exported a record volume of biodiesel in the 2022 marketing year, according to a report by Germany’s Union for the Promotion of Oil and Protein Plants (UFOP).

China has included extending the Black Sea Grain Initiative (BSGI) to protect grain exports from the Ukraine as part of its 12-point position on the war in the country, AgriCensus reports.

Ceres Global Ag Corp has completed the sale of its Port Colborne facility in Ontario, Canada, to London Agricultural Commodities (LAC) for US$4M on 17 February.

German chemical, fertiliser, crop protection and seed producer BASF will cut 2,600 jobs or about 2.3% of its global workforce as it battles high production costs, Reuters reported on 24 February.

British multinational oil and gas company (bp)’s AUD$1bn (US$672M) renewable fuels project in Kwinana, Australia, has reached the front-end engineering design phase, the step before a final investment is made, Biofuels Digest reported on 20 February.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has lowered its sunflowerseed production forecasts in the 2022/23 marketing year for Argentina and the Russian Federation, UkrAgroConsult reported.

The plant-based solvent methyloxolane has been approved for use in the extraction of vegetable oils in Europe, leading chemical developer and manufacturer the Minafin Group announced.

A new study by the US Soyabean Export Council (USSEC) exploring the non-genetically modified (GM) food-grade soyabean sector has shown a drop in planted area and production.

Uruguay’s agricultural ministry and some independent agronomists expect another bumper olive harvest this year due to improved agronomic techniques and more groves entering maturity, Olive Oil Times reported.

Leading coffee chain Starbucks has launched a line of drinks infused with extra virgin olive oil in Italy.

There is cautious optimism for the hotel and restaurant sector in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) following the ending of its zero-COVID policy, according to a report by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Trade associations representing the grain and oilseed sectors in the USA have asked the White House to provide more transparency, better communication and wider accountability by government agencies in the development and commercialisation of genetically-engineered (GE) products, World Grain wrote.

Eni Sustainable Mobility has formed a 50/50 joint venture with petroleum refiner and supplier PBF Energy to work in partnership on a bio-refinery in the USA, which is currently under construction on the site of PBF’s Chalmette refinery in Louisiana.