Sunflowers

Driving through the south of France has been a beautiful agricultural experience. There are many interesting things to see besides grapes. Some areas seem to be dominated by wheat, others are orchards while my favorite site is the sunflower field. The heads of these flowers turn their smiling faces whichever way the sun is directing making a beautiful visual display. With so much of the earth planted in sun flowers, you have to wonder what it is all for.

Sunflowers were a crop of the new world, primarily in North America. These flowers were cultivated even before corn. Spanish explorers brought the sunflower back to Spain, and it became a crop in France and Italy not long after. The Russians were responsible for making many of the improvements in increasing crop yield, disease resistance and oil extraction. Their seed varieties have been reintroduced around the world. The EU nations accounted for 23% of world wide sunflower production in 2001-2002.

Sunflowers seeds are mainly used for salad and cooking oil, in some countries replacing more expensive olive oil. Additional uses include biodiesel, machine lubricants, printer inks and additives for plastics and PVC products.

The fields are beautiful and very picturesque. They are a break from some of the other more mundane crops of wheat and corn, even grapes. Their nodding heads in the breeze are a welcoming sight as you drive by.




Information gathered from: Bailey’s Industrial Oil and Fat Products, Chapter 14, Sunflower Oil by Maria A. Grompone. John Wiley and Sons 2005.