**1. Introduction**

*Oilseeds* are seeds grown all over the world and primarily for the production of edible oils. Tropical oilseeds include almonds, avocado, hazelnut, canola, linseed, flaxseed, coconut, peanut, soybean, oils palm, olive and walnut seeds, among other underutilized ones. They are considered important crops due to their high potentials, functional roles, processing needs and economical value. World production of major oilseeds reached 611.48 million metric tons in 2021–2022 and among oilseeds soybean is the leading type (363.86 million metric tons) followed by rapeseed (70.62 million metric tons), sunflower seeds (57.26 million metric tons), groundnut (50.68 million metric tons), cotton seed (43.50 million metric tons) and palm kernel (19.73 million metric tons) [1]. Oilseeds are rich in oleochemicals,

phytochemicals such as flavonoids, tocopherols, phenolic compounds, lignans, tocotrienols, protein, fat, ash, fiber, carbohydrate, vitamins, minerals and some antinutritional factors like glucosinolates and phytates [2, 3]. The oilseeds have great potentials in the future both in the economy of the producing nation and in the food value chain. Interestingly, the tropical climate supports diverse species and varieties of oilseed crops production, but is, however, hampered by the traditional processing technologies (**Figure 1**) of the different countries which make its production and processing drudgery and less attractive to young ones. Additionally, absence of adequate conservation technology for the locally sourced oilseeds prior to processing is a major constraint to its export potentials. To avoid postharvest losses of up to 50% of the oilseeds, large-scale industrial processing operations are required to meet the quality criterion in the market [4]. Notably, some tropical countries such as Malaysia, India and Thailand have braced the odds and are ranked among the world oilseed producing nations whose contribution their gross domestic products (GDP) is very high.

Processing of oilseeds is designed to achieve high extraction yields, obtain high quality oil with minimal undesirable components and produce high value meal. Recently, due to increasing world population, demand for high-quality healthy vegetable oils continues to increase for human diet, domestic and industrial applications.

Oilseed processing industry in the tropics has faced some challenges which led to widespread inefficiency which affects domestic markets and export quality such as use of local technologies, the lack of modernization, low oil recoveries, lack of standardization of product quality among small-scale processors [5, 6]. Despite the several challenges, the sector has massive potential for tremendous growth if various governments introduce special investment incentives for investors and for regulators to monitor and enforce environmental controls and standards. This book chapter is aimed at utilization potentials of oilseeds in the tropics, therapeutic considerations, source of vital nutrients for consumers, prospects, and challenges of oilseed production for increased global competitiveness.

**Figure 1.** *Traditional oilseed processing technology flowchart.*
