Subsistence benefits from the babassu palm (Orbignya martiana)

Abstract

Stands of babassu palms (Orbignya martiana) occupy an area of Brazil estimated at nearly 200,000 km 2, concentrated in the states of Maranhao, Piauf and Goi~s. Babassu's cryptogeal germination, establishing the apical meristem of the plant below ground for its early growth and development, enables it to survive human disturbance, making the palm an integral part of shifting cultivation and pastoral farming systems. People obtain a multitude of products from babassu throughout the palm's life cycle." leaves are used widely for thatch, basketry, and construction; trunks for palmito and bridges," the fruit for feed, oil and, charcoal. As many as 450,000 subsistence-level households rely on the sale of babassu kernels, used in a regional vegetable oil industry, for an important share of their cash incomes. Deforestation pressures and technological innovation toward an industry based on mechanical processing of whole babassu fruit threaten to reduce benefits the palm provides to the region's rural poor. Understanding how babassu is used by rural families who depend upon it will help to make current efforts at "domesticating" the palm and whole-fruit processing more responsive to human needs.The babassu palm (Orbignya martiana Barb. Rodr.), spelled baba(u in modem Portuguese, reaches a height of up to 30 m at maturity; its dense crown of arching pinnate leaves has a diameter of 8 m. Babassu palms form monospecific stands over wide areas of Brazil (Fig. 1) on sites where there has been disturbance of the original vegetation, for example, where primary forests have been cleared. Babassu stands are concentrated in the southern portion of the Amazon Basin, an area that has undergone rapid population growth in recent decades as waves of settlers have arrived from other regions of Brazil. Today the palm forests represent a crucial source of subsistence goods and services for hundreds of thousands of rural families.This article examines the role of babassu in the lives of people who rely on the palm for an important share of their livelihood. Most of the literature (e.g., Teixeira Leite, 1953;MIC/STI, 1977) focuses on the palm's potential as a source of raw materials for industrialization, largely ignoring its importance in subsistence economies. Current efforts aimed at expanding the market potential of babassu products and clearcutting of the palm forests for more intensive agriculture often conflict with the basic needs of people dependent on the palm. A knowledge of these needs may point the way toward more harmonious utilization of babassu in both market and subsistence economies.

Conhecimento e usos do babaçu (Attalea speciosa Mart. e Attalea eichleri (Drude) A. J. Hend.) entre os Mebêngôkre-Kayapó da Terra Indígena Las Casas, estado do Pará, Brasil

“…destaca-se por ser uma das palmeiras mais abundantes da Amazônia. Distribuindo-se amplamente no sul da região, do oceano Atlântico à Bolívia (Balick & Pinheiro 2000), e especialmente nas zonas de transição entre a bacia amazônica e o semi-árido nordestino do Brasil, está presente principalmente nos Estados do Piauí, Maranhão e, em menor escala, no Tocantins, Goiás, Mato Grosso e Pará (May et al 1985;Meirelles 2004). Trata-se de uma das espécies mais importantes na subsistência de muitas comunidades tradicionais, já que todas as suas partes são utilizáveis.…”

Tree species diversity in a seasonally-dry forest: the case of the Pinkaití site, in the Kayapó Indigenous Area, Southeastern limits of the Amazon

“…in the Brazilian States of Pará and Maranhão are often associated with old human settlement sites and these species are usually considered good indicators of 'anthropogenic forests' (Balée, 1988(Balée, , 1989. Indeed, large arborescent palms are among the most frequently noted disturbance indicators of Amazonian archaeological sites, and the vast palm forests, which cover almost 200,000 km 2 of the Brazilian Amazon, appear to be an artefact of intense human disturbance and use of the forest (May et al, 1985).…”

Efeito de íons Cu2+ e Zn2+ em atividade Ca-ATPásica isolada de larvas de Pachymerus nucleorum (Fabricius) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae, Bruchinae)

“…Milhares de pessoas, principalmente nas regiões Norte, Nordeste e Centro do país, dependem da palmeira babaçu para a sua subsistência (May et al 1985) e o controle do besouro P. nucleorum tem importância econômica na vida dessas pessoas. Dados preliminares indicam, ainda, que larva de Zabrotes subfaciatus (Bohemann) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Bruchinae), outro besouro da subfamília Bruchinae, também apresenta atividade ATPásica similar à encontrada em larva de P. nucleorum.…”

“…Essa palmeira é um dos principais recursos oleíferos nativos do mundo e um dos principais produtos extrativos do Brasil. Ela ocupa cerca de 18 milhões de ha no país e desempenha um papel importante na vida de milhares de pessoas, principalmente, nas regiões Norte, Nordeste e Centro do país (May et al 1985).…”