What FOSFA International does

FOSFA International, legally The Federation of Oils, Seeds and Fats Associations Limited, is a London-headquartered trade federation founded in 1971 that supports global trade in vegetable and animal oils, oilseeds and fats. It operates on the values of independence, fairness and impartiality, governed by an elected Council and five specialist committees (Oilseeds, Oils & Fats, Contracts, Arbitration & Appeals, and Technical), with a small secretariat based at Augustine House in the City of London. The federation's core products are standardized contract forms for international commodity transactions (e.g., Contracts 002, 004, 011, 022, 024 covering Copra, Oilseeds and Soyabeans under CIF, FOB and C&F terms), complemented by an arbitration and appeals service, technical services via Member Superintendents and Member Analysts Schemes, and a Technical Manual and Carriage of Oils and Fats publication.

FOSFA serves 1,200+ members across 90 countries spanning six categories: trading, non-trading, analyst, superintendent, broker, and kindred associations. Its revenue model combines recurring annual membership subscriptions with one-time contract and publication sales (£75-£150), professional services revenue from residential and online training courses (TradeBytes at £75/module, Introductory and Advanced residential courses at £1,120-£1,795), meeting room hire at its London head office (£100-£300/day), and event ticket sales for annual dinners (£195/person or £1,950/table). Distribution is predominantly direct via the secretariat and an online shop at fosfa.org, with educational partnerships through the University of Greenwich (London) and the Solvent Extractors' Association (Mumbai).

FOSFA is registered in England and Wales as a private limited company (company number 926329) with no parent, no subsidiaries, no funding rounds and no external equity ownership; it is a member-governed federation. There is no public technology platform, no AI/ML capability, and no disclosed revenue or financials. Recent activity has focused on refreshing the standard contract suite (April 2024), publishing updated technical references, expanding digital learning via TradeBytes, and extending in-person education delivery into India.

Name

FOSFA International

Legal name

The Federation of Oils, Seeds and Fats Associations Limited

Website

https://fosfa.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1971

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

FOSFA International is a London-based trade federation founded in 1971 that provides standardized contracts, arbitration, technical services, and education to 1,200+ members across 90 countries engaged in global trade of oils, oilseeds and fats.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership Subscriptions: Annual membership fees from six categories: trading, non-trading, analyst, superintendent, broker and kindred associations. Members receive access to standard contracts, publications, and services.
2. Contract Sales: Sale of individual contract documents and the Technical Manual publication.
3. Training Courses: Revenue from residential trade education courses (Introductory and Advanced), international short courses, and online TradeBytes modules.
4. Meeting Room Hire: Rental of meeting facilities at their London head office to members.
5. Event Tickets: Revenue from Annual Dinner and Oils and Fats Dinner events.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

FOSFA International is a UK-based trade federation that develops and maintains standardized contract forms for the international trade of vegetable and animal oils, oilseeds, and fats, and provides members with arbitration services for contractual disputes, technical services (inspection and analysis schemes), and trade education programs. Members include buyers, sellers, producers, processors, analysts, surveyors, brokers, and kindred associations operating across 90 countries, who pay annual subscription fees and purchase contract documents, publications, and training.

Product overview

FOSFA International operates as a trade federation offering a comprehensive portfolio of products and services supporting global trade in oils, seeds and fats. The core offering consists of standardized contract forms (FOSFA Contracts) that provide contractual terms for international commodity transactions. Supporting services include arbitration for dispute resolution, technical services through Member Superintendents and Analysts Schemes, and education courses (Introductory Course, Advanced Course, International Short Courses, and TradeBytes online modules). Additional offerings include the Technical Manual, Carriage of Oils and Fats publication, Certificate Seals, Published Articles guides, Meeting Space hire in London, Membership Directory, Circulars, and Settlement Prices. The organization hosts annual dinners for networking. Products are primarily delivered through membership, with some items available for purchase by non-members.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• FOSFA Standard Contracts Standardized contract forms providing terms for the smooth international trade of oils, seeds and fats. Includes numbered contracts such as Contract No. 002 (Copra CIF), No. 004 (Oilseeds FOB), No. 011 (Oilseeds CIF), No. 022 (Soyabeans C&F/C&FFO), and No. 024 (Canadian/USA Soyabeans CIF), updated April 2024.
• Technical Manual Extensive and easily accessible selection of publications, resources, guides, rules, and codes of practice for the oils, seeds and fats trade. Sold at £100.00.
• Carriage of Oils and Fats 2026 Publication covering procedures and standards for the carriage and transportation of oils and fats. Sold at £150.00.
• FOSFA Certificate Seals Official certificate seals for use in conjunction with FOSFA contracts. Priced at £75.00.
• Arbitration Services Peer-group arbitration service enabling impartial and efficient resolution of contractual disputes for members, handled by knowledgeable arbitrators under FOSFA's Rules of Arbitration and Appeal, Small Claims Single Tier Rules, and Code of Practice for Arbitrators.
• Technical Services Technical team supervises procedures to ensure contract execution complies with agreed terms, including the Member Superintendents Scheme (inspection) and Member Analysts Scheme (analysis), the Contractual Analysis Seal, and a Technical Complaints Procedure.
• FOSFA Introductory Course Residential training course covering elementary aspects of international trade in oilseeds, oils and fats, ideal for those with little trading experience. Held at the University of Greenwich, London. Member Full Package: £1,350.00; Member Partial Package: £1,120.00; Non-member Full Package: £1,795.00; Non-member Partial Package: £1,565.00.
• FOSFA Advanced Course Residential training course designed to update delegates on current trade practices and regulations, with specialist managerial subjects, case studies and group work; ideal for individuals with more than three years' experience. Held at the University of Greenwich, London.
• International Trade Education Short Course International short course hosted in Mumbai, India (17-19 November 2026), supported by the Solvent Extractors' Association of India (SEA). Includes expert tuition in trade practices and regulations in the oilseeds, oils and fats industry plus networking drinks reception.
• FOSFA TradeBytes Online Courses Professional development online learning modules for oilseeds, oils and fats international commodity trading and transportation, delivered via the Education Hub Platform. Members: £75.00 per module.
• FOSFA Bursary Course (Stuart Logan Bursary) Bursary scheme supporting individuals to attend FOSFA education courses, funded jointly with Tallow Chandlers.
• Meeting Space Services Meeting room facilities in London for FOSFA members, including a large boardroom (seats 20) with video conferencing (£175 half day / £300 full day) and two breakout rooms (seats 4, £100 half day / £150 full day).
• FOSFA Annual Dinner Annual networking dinner event, scheduled for Thursday 29 October 2026 at Old Billingsgate, London. £195.00 per person or £1,950.00 for a table of 10 (maximum two tables).
• FOSFA Oils and Fats Section Annual Dinner Annual dinner for Oils and Fats section members, held Thursday 3 December 2026 at Tallow Chandlers' Hall, London.

Quantifiable outcome

• 85% of members say membership is an advantage when trading commodities
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SEA (Solvent Extractors' Association of India)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSEA supports FOSFA's International Trade Education Short Course held in Mumbai, India. FOSFA has a Trade Education Short Course scheduled for 17-19 November 2026 in Mumbai supported by SEA.
• University of GreenwichcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFOSFA's residential trade education courses (Introductory and Advanced) are hosted at the University of Greenwich, London. Courses run from 30 August to 4 September 2026.
• Tallow Chandlers' CompanyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Oils and Fats Section Annual Dinner is held at Tallow Chandlers' Hall, a historic venue in London. The dinner is scheduled for 3 December 2026.
• American Fats and Oils Association Inc (AFOA)minorOthersListed as a useful industry link in FOSFA's resources section.
• American Oil Chemists' Society (AOCS)minorOthersListed as a useful industry link for technical standards in oils and fats.
• Grain and Feed Trade Association (GAFTA)minorOthersFellow trade association listed in FOSFA's useful links for cross-referencing.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• GAFTA (Grain and Feed Trade Association): UK-headquartered trade federation providing standard contracts, arbitration, and technical services for the international grain and feed trade. Operates the same member-driven federation model as FOSFA and is referenced by FOSFA as a 'kindred association'.
• International Cotton Association (ICA): Liverpool-based trade association for the international cotton trade offering standard contracts, arbitration, and laboratory services. Closely analogous federation model — member-owned, contract-anchored, arbitration-driven.
• Federation of Cocoa Commerce (FCC): London-based trade association for the international cocoa trade providing standard contracts, arbitration and quality/shipping rules. Same trade-federation structure as FOSFA but covering cocoa rather than oils/seeds/fats.
• American Oil Chemists' Society (AOCS): International scientific society for fats, oils, lipids and related materials; develops analytical methods, technical standards, and certification programs. Cited by FOSFA as a kindred technical body, complementary rather than identical in scope.
• International Olive Council (IOC): Intergovernmental organization setting international standards for olive oil and table olives. Parallel standards-and-quality role to FOSFA but for a single commodity category within the broader oils space.

Broad incumbents

• International Chamber of Commerce (ICC): World's largest business organization with the globally dominant ICC International Court of Arbitration and standard trade terms (Incoterms, UCP). Overlaps FOSFA on arbitration but operates across all commodities rather than specializing in oils/seeds/fats.
• London Metal Exchange (LME): World's largest exchange for industrial metals futures and options, providing standardized contracts and arbitration. Different commodity focus but directly analogous standardized-contract business model.
• LSEG / Refinitiv Commodities: Global financial markets infrastructure and data provider offering commodity benchmarks, electronic trading platforms, and trade documentation tools. Adjacent digital alternative providing standard-contract-adjacent services at greater scale.

Regional players

• American Fats and Oils Association (AFOA): US-based industry association for fats and oils producers and traders, providing trade representation and technical support. Parallel organizational role to FOSFA but limited to the US market.

Emerging players

• essDOCS (now part of ICE): Provider of electronic Bills of Lading and digital trade documentation platforms. Emerging digital-first alternative to paper-based standard contract forms used by FOSFA, gaining adoption among commodity traders.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fosfa-international

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about FOSFA International