Shallow roots: The early oil palm industry in Southeast Asia, 1848–1940
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
12-2020
Department
Department of Social Sciences
Abstract
In most narratives, the beginning of the oil palm industry in Southeast Asia boils down to entrepreneurial spirit, scientific research, and good fortune. The colonial context in which the industry emerged barely figures in the story. This article argues that colonial power was critical, providing access to land and labour that proved more important than plant selection, capital, or technology. The plantation model pushed the region ahead of Africa as the leading exporter of palm oil by the late 1930s, but its future was in doubt as the Depression and Second World War shattered the colonial order.
Publication Title
Journal of Southeast Asian Studies
Recommended Citation
Robins, J.
(2020).
Shallow roots: The early oil palm industry in Southeast Asia, 1848–1940.
Journal of Southeast Asian Studies,
51(4), 538-560.
http://doi.org/10.1017/S0022463420000697
Retrieved from: https://digitalcommons.mtu.edu/michigantech-p/16074