The Castor plant contains highly toxic and allergenic compounds and is poorly suited for domestic production. In fact Ricin, a byproduct found in castor seed meal, is only slightly less toxic than plutonium - a single molecule can disrupt a human cell. In addition, the allergenic compounds found on the plant surface can cause permanent nerve damage. This makes the harvest of these plants a major human health risk.

India, Brazil and China are the major crop producers and the workers often suffer many harmful side effects from working with these plants. India is a leading producer and political problems in that country further threaten an already unstable castor supply.

As a result of these issues the supply of castor is unsteady and price fluctuations are extreme. Yet even with these problems the chemical industry uses an average of 600-800 million lbs. of oil each year. This is a true testament to the value of castor oil.