The Oil Palm Complex: Smallholders, Agribusiness and the State in Indonesia and Malaysia, edited by Rob Cramb and John F. McCarthy. Singapore: NUS Press, 2016, 512 pp.

Abstract

Rob Cramb and John F. McCarthy, both leading scholars of the social-political impacts of the oil palm industry in Southeast Asia, have edited an impressive volume on the topic. The diverse contributors to the volume, ranging from scholars to government officials to activists, is testament to the complexities and widespread implications of this ever growing agricultural sector. Indeed, the growth of the oil palm industry has been nothing short of astounding. In 1974, global production of oil palm stood at 14 million tonnes with the top two producers (Nigeria and Malaysia) producing 5 million tonnes each, followed by Indonesia (1.3 million tonnes), Congo (1 million ton) and Ghana (0.1 million ton). In 2014, global output jumped to 249 million tonnes with the top producer country, Indonesia, producing 127 million tonnes. Malaysia was the second biggest producer of oil palm in 2014 with 96 million tonnes.