Palm Oil History

Palm Oil History

Palm oil with scientific name Elaeis guineensis originated from West Africa. It originally grows along the rivers bank and later on land cleared by humans for long-fallow cultivation. It was believed that it have been use as a staple food crop dated back to 3000 years BC as it was found in the Egyptian tombs which reflect the high societal value of the palm oil.  With the origins in West Africa and evidence of consumption in Egypt, palm oil could be one of the earliest traded commodities.

Palm oil uses in international trading had only expanded significantly during the British Industrial Revolution. The main uses of Palm oil during that time was in candle production and industrial lubricants. With the increase demand, Europeans started to invest in palm oil plantation in West Africa followed by South East Asia. Between 1962 and 1982, world exports of palm oil rose from about 500,000 to 2,400,000 million tonnes per annum, and Malaysia emerged as the world’s largest producer, accounting for 56 percent of world production and 85 percent of world exports of palm oil in 1982. By 1990, world production had reached nearly 11,000,000 tonnes per annum, with a worldwide trade of 8,500,000 tonnes. Indonesia had surpassing Malaysia in year 2006 to become world’s largest palm oil producer and expected to produce more than 30 million tonnes per annum in year 2013. As on year 2013, total world’s palm oil production expected to more than 60 million tonnes per annum with 50 million tonnes coming from Malaysia and Indonesia.