Artisanal mills and local production of palm oil by smallholders Sylvain Rafflegeau, CIRAD, UPR Systèmes de Pérennes, France; Doris Nanda, Université de Yaoundé I, Cameroon; and Claude Genot, INRA-UR BIA, France

1 Introduction

2 Emergence of artisanal extraction of red palm oil in Africa

3 Who is producing artisanal red palm oil and why

4 Major operations and equipment for artisanal processing

5 Artisanal extraction units

6 Artisanal red palm oil composition, quality and uses

7 Sustainable development issues for artisanal red palm oil production

8 Where to look for further information

9 References

Elaeis guineensis, the most commonly grown oil palm in the world, is native to the Gulf of Guinea. Before colonisation of the African continent, the African people were traditionally red palm oil producers and consumers. The existence of wild palm groves, regionally called ‘natural’ palm groves, substantiates the origin of such traditional production and consumption (Hartley, 1988). During the colonial period, European colons traded with African custom authorities to export artisanal red palm oil to Europe mainly for industrial uses (Rouzière, 1995). For centuries Africa remained as the main producer of traditionally processed red palm oil. Slaves exported the knowledge about production, culinary traditions and seeds to Brazil (Bahia region) and to some West Indies islands. During the twentieth century, the development of massive processing units occurred until the present-stage industrial mills and refinery with high processing capacities (i.e. 40 t/h).