FAQ
Most frequent questions and answers
Diagram 1: Structure of the palm fruit
Fig. 1. Fresh fruit bunch (ffb)
Fig. 2 Fresh fruit (on the left is a cut fruit)
Ideal composition of palm fruit bunch
Bunch weight |
23-27 kg |
Fruit/bunch |
60-65 % |
Oil/bunch |
21-23 % |
Kernel/bunch |
5-7 % |
Mesocarp/bunch |
44-46 % |
Mesocarp/fruit |
71-76 % |
Kernel/fruit |
21-22 |
Shell/fruit |
10-11 |
The primary unit of production of the palm oil industry is the farm where the oil palm tree is cultivated to produce palm fruits. There are also wild groves of oil palm. The farm units are of different sizes and may be classified as small, medium, and large-scale estates.
The wild groves, as the name implies, grow untended in the forest. They are found in clusters and are mainly the result of natural seed dispersal. DURA, the main variety found in the groves, for decades has been the source of palm oil – well before modern methods of oil palm cultivation were introduced to Africa in the second quarter of the 20th century.
And DURA is the Red palm oil, we are trying to market, as we believe is the purest form of Red Palm Oil you’ll ever taste.
Yes! The varieties of palm oil are Dura, Pisifera and Tenera.
The Dura has a large nut with a thick shell and thin mesocarp.
The Pisifera is a small fruit with no shell. By crossing the Dura with Pisifera a fruit is obtained with a thick mesocarp containing much more oil and fat (chemically saturated oil) than either of its parents.
The Tenera nut is small and is easily shelled to release the palm kernel. The Tenera palm kernel is smaller than the Dura kernel although the Tenera bunch is much larger than Dura. The Tenera is a much better variety for industrial and economic purposes, but not good for consumption because of the high cholesterol meaning it is too fatty.
Traditional farmers in Guinea have not embraced the Tenera because consumers complained that the palm oil produced from the variety was too fatty. This means that when the oil cools to ambient temperature it ‘goes to sleep’ or solidifies instead of remaining fluid and red. The oil did not have the right taste as oil or as a soup base.
Dura palm oil is derived from native palm trees, which grows untended in the forest, these trees does not cause any dangers to monkeys, orangutans, as they are very tall. Because of how tall these palm trees are, some farmers no longer have the strength to cultivate the groves. Dura palm trees also take a while to produce the wild groves, which make farmers grow inpatient, thus making way for native trees being cut down to make way for short palm trees (Tenera). Oil palm expansion is a major driver of deforestation, which in turn threatens wildlife, such as the critically endangered orangutans, and primate species in West Africa.
Many companies growing palm oil are looking to expand into Africa.
This is a worry for Sophie Anne Company, as potential plantation sites are in areas of rich biodiversity.
Sophie Anne Company’s goal is to work with farmers existing Dura oil palm plantations, help them manage their land to reduce impacts on biodiversity.
Consumers can also help by choosing products that use sustainable palm oil and cutting down on the amount of palm oil they buy.