Thomas Mielke is Executive Director of ISTA Mielke GmbH, OIL WORLD, in Hamburg (Germany), a leading research organization that provides global supply, demand and price analyses, statistics and forecasts for all the major oilseeds, vegetable oils & animal fats and oilmeals as well as for biodiesel and other products. From 1993 until 2007 Thomas Mielke was a member of the Programme Advisory Committee of the Malaysian Palm Oil Board. Thomas Mielke has given more than 350 lectures and talks in conferences and workshops all over the world. He joined the OIL WORLD team in the mid-1970s, after studying economics and specializing in oilseed and products market research. OIL WORLD was founded back in 1958 and is recognized worldwide as the independent, authoritative and unbiased information provider for oilseeds, oils and oilmeals. The WEEKLY and daily FLASH reports can be obtained from the internet at www.oilworld.de