Introduction

The African oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) has been utilized by mankind as a source of oil and other products for thousands of years. In the last 50 years or so there has been a phenomenal expansion in its cultivation throughout the tropics, such that palm oil is now a major commodity of world trade, and the oil palm is a leading source of vegetable oil. This chapter traces the history of the African oil palm and its relatives in terms of its origins, evolution, distribution, and utilization; reviews the growth of the palm oil industry; and examines the progress made in enhancing production through selective breeding, improved cultivation practices and exploitation of optimum environments that together have resulted in progressive and substantial yield increases in this most productive of all oil-bearing crops.

History is often largely a matter of conjecture to the extent that it led Henry Ford (1916) to describe it as “more or less bunk”. Certainly there is a need for careful interpretation of past records and available evidence, but this often generates opposing views and ideas. In the case of the African oil palm, Elaeis guineensis, and its relatives, while there is much documented evidence concerning its development as a major crop, there are nevertheless a number of uncertainties regarding its origins and distribution.

Perhaps the most comprehensive account of oil palm history is found in the classic work, The Oil Palm. It is now in its 4th edition, the first three of which are by Hartley and appeared in 1967, 1977, and 1988; and the fourth, by Corley & Tinker, was published in 2003. In these volumes one finds detailed reviews of the origins of the African and American oil palms, their spread, and the development of the oil palm industry in various parts of the tropics. No attempt will be made here to emulate these exhaustive and seminal treatments of the subject, which the reader needing further information is advised to consult. Rather, an attempt is made to summarize the more prominent events and developments in the history of the oil palm and highlight points of uncertainty that remain such as those concerning origins, taxonomic relationships, and geographical dispersal.

Taxonomy, Origins and Distribution of Oil Palms

Taxonomy and Classification

Three species of palm are currently accepted as belonging to the genus Elaeis, which is one of a number of genera within the sub-family Arecoideae of the family Arecaceae (formerly known as Palmaceae) (Box 1.1). The major oil palm of commerce, the African oil palm (E. guineensis Jacq.) (Fig. 1.1), was formally named as such by Jacquin in 1763 based on specimens collected in Martinique. The naming and classification of the species has been retained since that time, despite numerous synonyms having been proposed (Schultes, 1990). Its origin on the Guinea coast of West Africa had been attested to as early as the late 16th century (Lobelius, 1570, 1576, 1581).

The classification of the remaining species of Elaeis has proved more contentious. The American oil palm, now known as E. oleifera (HBK), Cortes has been considered variously as being either (1) a form of E. guineensis, (2) a separate species within the genus Elaeis, or (3) a member of the genus Corozo [Described by Bailey (1940) as being “transferred” from the earlier Alfonsia oleifera of Humbolt, Bonpland, and Kunth (HBK) (Hartley, 1977)]. Its formal description by Cortes as E. oleifera dates from 1897.

E. oleifera was initially known as E. melanococca and considered to be a form of E. guineensis (Corley, 1976). However, there are several distinct differences in morphology between the African and American oil palm that argue against this, notably the rate of trunk growth and the structure of the fronds and inflorescences.

Although E. oleifera was initially placed in the genus Corozo, due to its close affinities to E. guineensis as shown by its readiness to hybridize with this species and produce fertile offspring (Hardon & Tan, 1969), its placement in a separate genus was considered unwarranted. Hardon (1969) observed that the American oil palm appears to be the more primitive of the two, as indicated by the dominance in E. guineensis × oleifera hybrids of several characters that originate from the latter species.

The third species, E. odora Traill, was previously known as Barcella odora, but its minor morphological differences from those of the other Elaeis species (Corley, 1976), together with affinities revealed by molecular marker analysis (Corley & Tinker, 2003, citing work of Barcelos et al., 1999), are not thought sufficient to warrant it being placed in a separate genus.

Of the three species, the African oil palm is the only one cultivated on a wide scale. E. oleifera finds use for producing E. guineensis × oleifera hybrids, while E. odora, which grows wild in South America, has not yet been domesticated. Another proposed member of the genus was E. madagascariensis Becc, now generally thought to be a form of E. guineensis (Hartley, 1977). This chapter deals mainly with E. guineensis but reference is made to E. oleifera where appropriate.