Winter Oilseeds as a Response to Biofuels Feedstock Demand
U.S. biodiesel and renewable diesel production has surged, boosting demand for feedstocks like soybean oil, corn oil, canola oil, waste oils, and animal fats. Soybean oil remains the dominant input. Used cooking oil may decline as policy changes reduce incentives for foreign feedstocks, shaping the 2024/25 feedstock mix.
U.S. biodiesel and renewable diesel output has increased significantly in recent years, and the outlook for future policy and production is strong (Hubbs and Irwin, 2025). Growth in biomass-based diesel (BBD) fuel output has increased demand for feedstocks, including vegetable oils, such as soybean oil, corn oil, canola oil, and waste oils; and animal fats such as yellow grease and tallow. Figure 1 shows the share of different feedstocks in U.S. biofuels production from October 2024 to September 2025, that is the 2024/25 vegetable oil marketing year. The U.S. uses a variety of oils and fats to meet demand for BBD, but soybean oil is the leading feedstock. Yellow grease in the form of used cooking oil may decline, as changing U.S. policy may limit incentives to use foreign feedstocks.
Expanded BBD production and reduced use of foreign feedstocks suggest a need to grow more vegetable oil in the U.S. There are multiple ways to grow the additional feedstocks necessary to meet rising demand. Some involve producing more soybean oil. Soybean oil production can be increased by processing more soybeans and squeezing more oil out of each bushel. (Janzen, Irwin, and Wang, 2025) However, cropland in the many parts of the country is largely fixed and already highly optimized for food and feed production. If soybean acreage growth is limited, nonsoybean alternatives may be necessary to increase vegetable oil output.
This article examines the potential for winter oilseed production to meet biofuels feedstock demand. Winter oilseeds can expand vegetable oil production in places such as Illinois and elsewhere in the central Corn Belt without substantial impacts on corn and soybean production, since winter oilseeds may be grown on acres that typically sit idle from fall harvest to spring planting. One example is CoverCress, a novel oilseed developed from domesticated field pennycress in a joint venture between Bayer; Bunge, a major oilseed trader and processor; and Chevron.
Another is winter canola. While canola is a significant crop in other parts of the U.S., winter canola production is just emerging in the central Corn Belt, supported by a joint venture between Bunge, Chevron, and Pioneer, that has targeted farmers in Illinois, Kentucky, and Missouri. CoverCress and winter canola are planted in fall and harvested in spring before a second crop, typically soybeans or wheat, is planted.
Winter oilseeds, such as CoverCress and winter canola, are attractive sources of BBD feedstock in part because they have higher oil content than soybeans, which is typically 18–20%. With biofuels, feedstock demand is the primary driver, generating relatively more oil (and less meal as a co-product), and making these crops more attractive to processors. CoverCress indicates seed yields around 1,500 pounds per acre; at 33% oil content, this produces 500 pounds of oil per acre. For winter canola, promotional materials suggest producers in the region can expect yields of 55 bushels per acre in Illinois. Canola typically has roughly 40% oil content, so an acre of winter canola could be expected to produce about 1,100 pounds of oil. Because of their relatively high oil content and the timing of their production, winter oilseeds may increase total vegetable oil output rather than shift output among crops, even if subsequent soybean crops suffer a yield penalty.
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Source : Successful Farming
