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African countries have 6.53 million unregistered hectares of wild, semi-wild and garden-grown oil palm, an area that is more than three times the size of all commercial plantations on the continent, according to a study published Tuesday, September 9, in the scientific journal IOP Science.
The study, entitled “Uncultivated and Unreported Oil Palm in Africa,” indicates that the African oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) is native to the continent's rainforests. Its fruits are rich in oil used in food, traditional medicine and various hygiene products. The current production of palm oil in Africa is not sufficient to meet regional demand, making most countries a net importer of this commodity.
In Africa, palm oil is produced in a variety of environments, from large-scale industrial plantations, to small organized farms, to semi-wild and wild trees. Despite its local importance, oil palm not grown in commercial plantations has been largely underestimated in official statistics. Data from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), which is based on country-by-country reports, usually focus on commercial farms and ignore mixed gardens and wild palm groves.
To map these unregistered trees, researchers from Antwerp, Wageningen and Liverpool John Moores universities, as well as an analyst from environmental consulting firm Borneo Futures, analyzed 11,800 high-resolution satellite images covering all possible areas of oil palm cultivation in Africa. The study found that this palm grows sparsely among trees and other crops, unlike organized rows in commercial farms, making it almost invisible to traditional monitoring methods.
The 6.53 million hectares of “hidden” oil palm are found in wild or semi-wild communities within forests, agricultural forests, and gardens. Satellite images revealed the presence of oil palm trees that are not grown in commercial farms near 79% of villages in the Congo Basin rainforest and more than half of all villages in West Africa. The Democratic Republic of the Congo has the largest area of 2.5 million hectares, followed by Nigeria with 1.9 million hectares.
The study also indicates that this palm not grown in commercial plantations is mostly the “Dura” variety, which has a lower yield than the hybrid variety “Tenera” (Tenera) used in modern farms. However, many growers prefer the 'Dora' variety because it sheds less shade, making it better for interplanting. Dura unrefined palm oil is a highly valued staple in African cuisine and is often sold at higher prices than refined oil in local markets.
In rural areas, artisanal producers usually process the fruits to meet local demand for unrefined oil and other products such as palm wine. Most of this production is consumed locally, highlighting the vital role of this unregistered palm in subsistence and informal economies in the region.
The results of the study have important implications for understanding food security in Africa and improving information on land use and food policies. Palm oil is a traditional ingredient that provides essential fats and vitamins that are often lacking in many African diets. The discovery of millions of hectares of previously unrecorded oil palm indicates that dietary “fat deficiency” in the region may be less severe than previously thought, although more research is needed to determine the exact contribution of these trees to local diets.
Source: Ecofin Agency
