African palm plantations in Costa Rica. Native to West Africa, Elaeis guineensis was planted in the 1940s by United Fruit Co.
African palm plantations in Costa Rica. Native to West Africa, Elaeis guineensis was planted along this stretch in the 1940s by United Fruit, in response to a blight that was attacking their banana crops. The palms took hold and soon proved quite profitable, being blessed with copious bunches of plumsize nuts that are rich in oil. This oil is extracted and processed in plantations that dot the road between Jacó and Quepos. The smoke and distinct smell of this processing is often easily noticed. The processed oil is eventually shipped overseas and used in a wide range of products, including soaps, cosmetics, lubricants, and food products. These plantations are a major source of employment in the area -- note the small, orderly "company towns" built for workers -- but their presence is controversial. The palm trees aren't native, and the farming practices are thought by some to threaten Costa Rica's biodiversity.
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Photo credit: © B.A.E. Inc. / Alamy / Afripics
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