Fats and oils

Vegetable and animal fats and oils

Edible fats and oils, including animal fats and vegetable fats (vegetable oils), are an important component of the human diet. Lack of adequate food energy is a continuing problem in many areas of the developing world and in famines, resulting in malnutrition, disease, and deaths; while in the developed countries over-consumption of fats leads to obesity and serious health problems.

They can also be used for biofuel, through conversion to biodiesel or direct use as straight vegetable oil. This raises serious issues of food security, as ever-increasing demand for transport fuel, especially from richer people, competes with food crops (both using food crops for biofuel and replacing food crops with biofuel-oriented crops). This places the ability of the poor to feed themselves in danger.

A more recent use is the production of bioplastics.^{W[verification needed]}

Fats are the carriers of several important vitamins, and are also an important source of food energy (calorie).

Petroleum

Inedible oils include petroleum products such as kerosene. These are a non-renewable resource.

These which are used:

• As fossil fuels for transport
• In the production of plastics, and personal care products such as perfumes.
• As fuel in internal combustion engines (including diesel engines)
• For light and cooking, in kerosene lamps and kerosene stoves. These contribute to indoor air pollution, causing a major health problem with respiratory diseases, as well as house fires which cause death and injury.
• As machine lubricants.

The burning of petroleum products is a major contributor to climate change.