ABSTRACT
All the plantation crops, while unique in many ways, share a surprisingly common history. First, clever people in antiquity recognized the potential value of each species and gradually improved them to serve humanity. As European and American demand for the plantation crops burgeoned, vast tracts of native vegetation were clear-cut in largely undeveloped areas of the world to establish plantations. Thousands of hectares of native vegetation were clear-cut to make way for banana in Central and South America. Many plantation workers are still forced to labor in the fields and are trapped as virtual indentured servants after money is deducted from their substandard salaries for food, housing and other necessities. The rubber estates of Liberia have for a long time received international criticism for such abuses. The environmental and human abuses associated with the plantation system are being repeated all over again as world demand for palm oil has rocketed.
