Oil palm
African Oil Palm (Elaeis guineensis)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Liliopsida Order: Arecales Family: Arecaceae Subfamily: Arecoideae Tribe: Cocoeae Genus: Elaeis Jacq.
Species
Elaeis guineensis Elaeis oleifera

The oil palms (Elaeis) comprise two species of the Arecaceae, or palm family. Plants are living Organisms belonging to the kingdom Plantae. The flowering plants or angiosperms ( Angiospermae or Magnoliophyta) are the most widespread group Liliopsida is a Botanical name for the class containing the family Liliaceae (or Lily Family Arecales is an order of Flowering plants The order has been widely recognised only for the past few decades until then the accepted name for the order including Arecaceae or Palmae (also known by the name Palmaceae, which is taxonomically invalid or commonly palm tree) the palm family is a family of Flowering Nikolaus Joseph Freiherr von Jacquin or Baron Nikolaus von Jacquin. Arecaceae or Palmae (also known by the name Palmaceae, which is taxonomically invalid or commonly palm tree) the palm family is a family of Flowering They are used in commercial agriculture in the production of palm oil. Agriculture refers to the production of goods through the growing of plants and fungi and the raising of domesticated Animals The study of agriculture Palm oil is an edible plant oil derived from the Fruit of the Arecaceae Elaeis Oil palm. The African Oil Palm Elaeis guineensis is native to west Africa, occurring between Angola and Gambia, while the American Oil Palm Elaeis oleifera is native to tropical Central America and South America. Angola, officially the Republic of Angola (República de Angola Pronounced ʁɛˈpublikɐ dɨ ɐ̃ˈgɔlɐ Repubilika ya Ngola is a country in south-central South America is a Continent of the Americas, situated entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a The generic name is derived from the Greek for oil, elaion, while the species name refers to its country of origin^[1].

Mature trees are single-stemmed, and grow to 20 m tall. The leaves are pinnate, and reach between 3-5 m long. In Botany, a leaf is an above-ground Plant organ specialized for Photosynthesis. Pinnate is a term used to describe Feather -like or multi-divided features arising from both sides of a common axis in Plant or Animal structures and comes A young tree produces about 30 leaves a year. Established trees over 10 years produce about 20 leaves a year. The flowers are produced in dense clusters; each individual flower is small, with three sepals and three petals. A flower, also known as a bloom or Blossom, is the reproductive structure found in Flowering plants (plants of the division Magnoliophyta, also The fruit takes five to six months to mature from pollination to maturity; it comprises an oily, fleshy outer layer (the pericarp), with a single seed (kernel), also rich in oil. The term fruit has different meanings dependent on context and the term is not synonymous in Food preparation and Biology. A seed (in some plants referred to as a kernel) is a small embryonic Plant enclosed in a covering called the seed coat usually with some stored Unlike other relatives, the oil palm does not produce offshoots; propagation is by sowing the seeds. Offshoots are lateral shoots that are produced on the main stem of a Plant. A seed (in some plants referred to as a kernel) is a small embryonic Plant enclosed in a covering called the seed coat usually with some stored

Contents 1 Agriculture 2 Cultivation 3 Social and Environmental impacts 4 Malayan folkculture 5 See also 6 References 7 External links

Agriculture

Oil palms are grown for their clusters of fruit, which can weigh 40-50 kg. The term fruit has different meanings dependent on context and the term is not synonymous in Food preparation and Biology. Upon harvest, the drupe, pericarp and seeds are used for production of soap and edible vegetable oil; different grades of oil quality are obtained from the pericarp and the kernel, with the pericarp oil used mainly for cooking oil, and the kernel oil used in processed foods. In Botany, a drupe is a Fruit in which an outer fleshy part ( Exocarp, or skin and Mesocarp, or flesh surrounds a shell (the pit A Fruit in Botany refers to a mature ovary. In fleshy fruits the outer often edible layer is the pericarp, which is the tissue that develops SOAP (see below for name and origins is a protocol for exchanging XML -based messages over Computer networks normally using

For each hectare of oil palm, which is harvested year-round, the annual production averages 10 tonnes of fruit, which yields 3,000 kg of pericarp oil, and 750 kg of seed kernels, which yield 250 kg of high quality palm kernel oil as well as 500 kg of kernel meal. Explanation The hectare is commonly used in most countries around the world especially in domains concerned with land planning and management such as Agriculture, The meal is used to feed livestock. Livestock is the term used to refer (singularly or plurally to a Domesticated Animal intentionally reared in an agricultural setting to produce such as Food Some varieties have even higher productivities which has led to their consideration for producing the vegetable oil needed for biodiesel. Biodiesel refers to a non-petroleum-based Diesel fuel consisting of short chain Alkyl ( Methyl or ethyl) Esters made by

The African Oil Palm was introduced to Sumatra and the Malaya area in the early 1900s; many of the largest plantations of oil palms are now in this area, with Malaysia growing over 20,000 square kilometres. Sumatra (also spelled Sumatera) is the sixth largest island in the world (approximately 470000 km² and is the largest island entirely in Indonesia (two For the biogeographical region see Malesia Malaysia (məˈleɪʒə or /məˈleɪziə/ is a country that consists of thirteen states and Fundamentally a plantation is usually a large Farm or estate, especially in a tropical or semitropical country on which Cotton, Tobacco For the biogeographical region see Malesia Malaysia (məˈleɪʒə or /məˈleɪziə/ is a country that consists of thirteen states and Malaysia claims that in 1995 it was the world's largest producer with 51% of world production. Palm oil and its fractions are practical and attractive choice for importers and food manufacturers, especially in 3rd world countries due to its price competitiveness, year-round supply, diversity and versatility for edible and non-edible applications.

Cultivation

The oil palm is a tropical palm tree. There are two species of oil palm, the better known one is the one originating from Guinea, Africa and was first illustrated by Nicholaas Jacquin in 1763, hence its name, Elaeis guineensis Jacq. Guinea, officially Republic of Guinea (pronounced /ˈgɪni/ République de Guinée is a country in West Africa, formerly known as French Guinea Nikolaus Joseph Freiherr von Jacquin or Baron Nikolaus von Jacquin.

The fruit is reddish about the size of a large plum and grows in large bunches. A bunch of fruits can weigh between 10 to 40 kilograms. Each fruit contains a single seed (the palm kernel) surrounded by a soft oily pulp. Oil is extracted from both the pulp of the fruit (palm oil, an edible oil) and the kernel (palm kernel oil, used mainly for soap manufacture). SOAP (see below for name and origins is a protocol for exchanging XML -based messages over Computer networks normally using

For every 100 kilograms of fruit bunches, typically 22 kilograms of palm oil and 1. 6 kilograms of palm kernel oil can be extracted.

The high productivity of the oil palm at producing oil (as high as 7,250 liters per hectare per year) has made it the prime source of vegetable oil for many tropical countries. It is also likely to be used for producing the necessary vegetable oil for biodiesel, an example being a planned refinery in Darwin, Australia which will import the palm oil from Indonesia and Malaysia. Biodiesel refers to a non-petroleum-based Diesel fuel consisting of short chain Alkyl ( Methyl or ethyl) Esters made by

The oil palm originated in West Africa but has since been planted successfully in tropical regions within 20 degrees of the equator. West Africa or Western Africa is the Westernmost Region of the African Continent. There is evidence of palm oil use in Ancient Egypt. Ancient Egypt was an Ancient Civilization in eastern North Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now

In the Republic of the Congo, or Congo Brazzaville, precisely in the Northern part, not far from Ouesso, local people produce this oil by hand. The Republic of the Congo (République du Congo Kongo: Repubilika ya Kongo; Lingala: Republiki ya Kongó) also known as Congo-Brazzaville Ouésso is a town in the northern Republic of the Congo, lying on the Sangha River and surrounded by Rainforest. They harvest the fruit, boil it to let the water part evaporate, then they press what is left in order to collect the reddish, orange colored oil.

The world's largest producer and exporter of palm oil today is Malaysia, producing about 47% of the world's supply of palm oil. For the biogeographical region see Malesia Malaysia (məˈleɪʒə or /məˈleɪziə/ is a country that consists of thirteen states and Indonesia is the second largest world producer of palm oil producing approximately 36% of world palm oil volume. The Republic of Indonesia ( (Republik Indonesia is a Country in Southeast Asia. According to US Departement of Agriculture, since 2005 Indonesia became the world's largest producer of Crude Palm Oil (CPO. Both nations are expanding their palm oil production capacity and the market continues to grow.

Worldwide palm oil production during the 2005-2006 growing season was 39. 8 million metric tons, of which 4. This article is about the tonne or metric ton For other tons see Ton. 3 million tons was in the form of palm kernel oil. It is thus by far the most widely-produced tropical oil, and constitutes thirty percent of total edible oil production worldwide. ^[2].

Social and Environmental impacts

The social and environmental impacts of oil palm cultivation is a highly controversial topic. There are multiple sources highlighting the positive and negative aspects of this industry. ^[3][4] Oil palm is a valuable economic crop and provides a major source of employment. It allows many small landholders to participate in the cash economy and also often results in the upgrade of the infrastructure (schools, roads, telecommunications) within that area. However, there are cases where native customary lands have been appropriated by oil palm plantations without any form of consultation or compensation,^[5] leading to social conflict between the plantations and local residents. ^[6] In some cases oil palm plantations are dependent on imported labour or illegal immigrants, and there are some concerns about the employment conditions and social impacts of these practices.

Biodiversity loss and the potential extinction of charismatic species is one of the most controversial issues in oil palm cultivation. The impacts of oil palm plantations on the environment is dependent on multiple factors, including the existence and compliance to environmental legislation, the pre-establishment habitat and corporate responsibility. In some states where oil palm is established there had been little enforcement of environmental legislation leading to encroachment of plantations into protected areas,^[7] encroachment into riparian strips,^[8] open burning of plantation wastes and release of palm mill pollutants in the environment. ^[8] Some of these states have recognised the need for increased environmental protection and this is resulting in more environmental friendly practices. ^[9][10]

Demand for palm oil has increased in recent years due to its use as a biofuel^[11], but recognition that this increases the environmental impact of cultivation as well as causing a food vs fuel issue has forced some developed nations to reconsider their policies on biofuel to improve standards and ensure sustainability. Food vs fuel is the dilemma regarding the risk of diverting farmland or crops for Biofuels production in detriment of the Food ^[12]

Malayan folkculture

Since the days when the 'guineesis' was first introduced by the British, Indians laborer were brought in to work the estates. It was there that Hindu beliefs mixed with the local Malay race culture and started the usage of palm seeds by traditional healers suffixed with tok 'bomoh' or 'pawang' in the local language. The concept of a Malay race ( Bangsa Melayu) was proposed by the German scientist Johann Friedrich Blumenbach (1752-1840 Bomoh is the term for a Shaman in Malaysia. They are also known as Dukun. It was found that every bunch of palm fruit usually bears a single 'illustrious' seed which looks like a shiny black pearl called 'sbatmi' in Tamil and 'shakti' in Malay. Sbatmi are Malayan Amulets made from the seeds of the Oil palm. These are used as accessories by the 'bomoh' and 'pawang' in the mixed ritual for peace with nature as these are believed to contain mystical healing properties and one who wears it are blessed by nature.

Modern usage have seen more and more common people keeping these as a charm/fashion item to feel at peace thanks to its use on Television by some celebrities. It must be noted that all palm seeds contain acid and these sbatmi are no different and should be handled with care. Sbatmi lost some popularity in recent years when it was most recently used in a grisly ritual by the infamous Mona Fandey. Maznah Ismail ( 1956 - 2 November 2001) better known as Mona Fandey, was a pop singer Witch doctor, and a murderess from Malaysia

See also

• Attalea maripa (American oil palm)

References

External links

• Malaysian Palm Oil Promotion Council (MPOPC)
• Palm Oil HQ - Palm Oil News, Prices and Industry Directory
• Biodiesel production
• Friends of the Earth UK: Palm oil - rainforest in your shopping
• Center for Science in the Public Interest: Cruel Oil - How Palm Oil Harms Health, Rainforest and Wildlife
• Buckland, Helen. The oil for ape scandal. Friends of the Earth (pdf file). Retrieved on 2005-12-14. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1287 - St Lucia's flood: The Zuider Zee sea wall in the Netherlands collapses killing over 50000 people
• Why is oil palm replacing tropical rainforests?
• The Palm Oil TRUTH Foundation
• Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil

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