TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Compound: The base initiator is of formula M+B-.M=alkali metal or alkaline earth metal; andB=hydroxide, carbonate, oxide, alkoxide, phosphate, and/or hydrogen phosphate.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Compound: The monohydric alcohol is an aliphatic compound having one free hydroxyl group and/or 1-24C. It is methanol and/or ethanol.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - POLYMERS - Preferred Compound: The phase-transfer catalyst is quat. ammonium salt, quat. phosphonium salt, polyethylene glycol, polyethylene glycol ether, polyethylene glycol ester, crown ether, hexaalkyl guanidinium salt, tris(2-(2-methoxyethoxy)ethyl)amine, lariat ether, and/or any of the above compounds bound to a polymer, or their derivative. It is quat. ammonium salt or quat. phosphonium salt containing 8-96C of formula RaRbRcRdA+X- or its mixture.A=P, or preferably N;Ra-Rd=straight chain 1-24C alkyl groups, where Rb-Rd are preferably straight chain 8-24C alkyl groups; andX=chloride, bromide, acetate, fluoride, nitrate, hydroxide, iodide, hydrogen sulfate, sulfate, methylsulfate, or carbonate.Preferred Component: The triglyceride is derived from crude vegetable oil, refined vegetable oil, waste vegetable oil, and/or animal fat. Preferred Parameter: The molar ratio of monohydric alcohol to triglyceride is 3:1-20:1. The molar ratio of phase-transfer catalyst to triglyceride is 0.1-5 mol.%. The molar ratio of base initiator to triglyceride is 0.1-20 mol.%. Preferred Method: The method comprises heating the resulting mixture at 25-150degreesC. EXAMPLE - To the reaction vessel were added 0.55 g CYPHOS 3653(RTM: trihexyl tetradecyl phosphonium chloride 99%) and 90.69 g Crisco(RTM: soybean oil). The agitator was started at 300 plus minus2 revolutions/minute (rpm) and the phase-transfer catalyst dissolved rapidly. A fresh solution was prepared by dissolving 0.163 g sodium hydroxide flakes (4.1 mmoles) in 15.33 g methanol (479 mmoles). The methanol solution was added to the soybean oil solution at 24degreesC. The reaction temperature was 22-24degreesC. Weighed samples were taken from the agitated reaction mixture at 10 minutes, 20 minutes, 30 minutes, 40 mm, 60 mm, 80 mm and 120 mm. The sample was diluted in a weighed amount of heptane, decane, tetradecane (internal standard for gas chromatography), and water. Five drops of the upper layer were treated with 10 drops of pyridine and 5 drops of (bis(trimethylsilyl)trifluoroacetamide) and heated to 65degreesC for 20 minutes. Conversion was determined by comparing the gas chromatography results of sample to a standard of 99% methyl soyate prepared from the same batch of soybean oil using 8 moles of methanol per mole of soybean oil and washed three times and verified by methyl stearate analysis using a 4-point calibration curve of methyl stearate to tetradecane with R2 value of 0.999. Conversion of soybean oil to soybean methyl ester at 10, 20, 30, 40, 60, 80, and 120 minutes were 26, 57, 64, 73, 83, 94, and 98%, respectively, compared to sample without the phase-transfer catalyst of 11, 25, 38, 45, 51, 59, and 66%, respectively.