Rapeseed oil consumption on the rise in Germany

Rapeseed oil was and remains the number one product in German kitchens. In 2024, consumers continued to choose this cooking oil most often when shopping. With a consumption volume of 86 million liters, rapeseed oil is far ahead of other vegetable oils and, according to the Agricultural Market Information Company (AMI), has even increased its market share compared to the previous year.

In 2024, 213.7 million liters of edible oils were purchased in the country, significantly more than in 2023 (199 million liters). The renewed growth shows that the market is stabilizing, says Stefan Ahrens, Managing Director of the German Association for the Promotion of Oilseed and Cereal Cultivation (UFOP).

In second place after rapeseed oil is sunflower oil with a volume of 64.1 million liters (2023: 60 million liters). Olive oil ranks third with 36.1 million litres (2023: 34 million litres). Despite the difficult price environment, especially for olive oil due to crop failure in southern Europe, demand remains generally stable in all three segments.

The union representatives emphasize the central role that rapeseed will play in German agriculture in 2025 and note the growth of organic products based on the oilseed crop. Thus, around 4.6 million litres of organic rapeseed oil were consumed in Germany in 2024, which is around 17% of the total volume of organic edible oil of 27.4 million litres.

Earlier it became known that the area under winter rapeseed in Germany increased by 2.3% to 1.11 million hectares. In total, around 5.8 million hectares of area are allocated to this central agricultural crop in the EU. In Russia, the area under rapeseed is expected to reach a record 3 million hectares this year, and the harvest forecast, according to industry representatives, could exceed 5 million tons.

Tags: Germany, rapeseed oil