The African oil palm, Elaeis guineensis, is native to West Africa and in terms of agriculture, it is perhaps the world’s most important palm species. Oil palm fruits are available year-round and have served as semi-wild food resources in traditional societies for >7000 years.
Where is oil palm grown?
Oil palm is a tropical plant species. It thrives on high rainfall, adequate sunlight and humid conditions – this means the best growing areas are along a narrow band around the equator. 4 Palm oil is therefore grown in many countries across Africa, South America, and Southeast Asia. In the map we see the distribution of production across the world.
Why is palm oil important in Africa?
Despite these concerns, palm oil production remains an important industry providing jobs and contributing to economic growth in many countries, including several in Africa. Nigeria: With a production of 1.4 million metric tons, Nigeria is the fifth-largest producer of palm oil in the world and the top producer in Africa.
Why do African countries want to raise palm oil production?
Since the last decade, countries from the African oil palm belt have been firmly determined to raise Africa’s production of palm oil not only to ensure a sufficiency of oils and fats for its populations, but also to regain its share in the world market for vegetable oils.