• Can small-scale palm oil production reduce deforestation?
  • Our results indicate that an improved small-scale palm oil production system, including agroforestry or mixed cropping and general intensification of plant maintenance, may increase yields without putting additional pressure on natural forests¡ªa step towards ensuring palm oil is produced in a supply chain that avoids deforestation.
  • How is palm oil extracted?
  • [ 53 ] Oil is extracted from both the pulp of the fruit (palm oil, an edible oil) and the kernel (palm kernel oil, used in foods and for soap manufacture). For every 100?kg of fruit bunches, typically 22?kg of palm oil and 1.6?kg of palm kernel oil can be extracted.
  • Does small-scale palm oil production in Kigoma retain the character of local adapted farming?
  • The present study suggests that small-scale production and processing of palm oil in Kigoma (whether intercropped or not) is likely to retain the character of a locally adapted farming system destined to provide enough product for the subsistence of the families and to generate some additional income for the farmers.
  • How did oil palms grow in Africa?
  • An explosive expansion of oil palm groves throughout western and central Africa in the wake of a dry period around 2,500 years ago enabled human migration and agricultural development; in turn, humans facilitated oil palm propagation through seed dispersal and slash-and-burn agriculture.
  • How much palm oil can be extracted?
  • For every 100?kg of fruit bunches, typically 22?kg of palm oil and 1.6?kg of palm kernel oil can be extracted. The high oil yield of oil palms (as high as 7,250 liters per hectare per year) has made it a common cooking ingredient in Southeast Asia and the tropical belt of Africa.
  • What percentage of oil palms are cultivated by smallholders?
  • Globally, smallholders are responsible for about 27% oil palm cultivation 5.72?¡À?0.22?Mha. In West Africa and Central Africa, smallholders occupy about 68% (0.79?¡À?0.11?Mha) and 26% (0.21?¡À?0.6?Mha) of total area cultivated, respectively (Descals et al., 2021 ).