ABSTRACT
Fruits of several palm species are of high importance to local communities of tropical regions as a source of subsistence and income. Local people consume unprocessed fruits, or use them to produce juices, ice creams, sweets, edible oils, cosmetics, handcrafts, natural medicines and fodder for domestic animals (Balslev 2011, Macía et al. 2011). The socioeconomic importance of these products is based on three aspects. First, some of the products have high market value and trade at local, regional or national scales (Brokamp et al. 2011). Second, the edible fruits are highly nutritious, being high in starch, high-quality protein and unsaturated oil, thereby contributing considerably to food security of local traditional communities (Brokamp et al. 2011, Graefe et al. 2013). Third, fruits of several palm species are available in abundance (Miller 2002, Genini et al. 2009), frequently in large natural populations located close to households (Sampaio et al. 2012).
