A raw material or feedstock is basic material used in the production of goods, energy, finished products or intermediate materials that are themselves feedstock for finished products. As feedstock, the term connotes it is a bottleneck asset critical to the production of other products. For example, crude oil is a feedstock raw material providing finished products in the fuel, plastic, industrial chemical and pharmaceutical industries. The term “raw material” is used to denote material is in an unprocessed or minimally processed state; e.g., raw latex, coal, raw biomass, iron ore, logs, crude oil, air or seawater. The use of raw material by non-human species includes twigs and found objects as used by birds to make nests.
