As you head south along the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica from Jaco down past Quepos/Manuel Antonio toward Dominical, vast forests of palm trees stretch for miles along the highway.
Lush and thickly planted, with emerald ferns growing on the trunks and a dense carpet of green underneath, the palms always remind me of a tropical enchanted forest.
These immense plantations are African Palms, and their oil production is one of the largest agricultural industries in Costa Rica. Palm oil – not to be confused with coconut oil – is the world’s most consumed vegetable oil. The oil extracted from palm oil kernels (called dates) is used around the world in products ranging from candy and cosmetics to candles, cooking oil, industrial lubricants and even biofuels.
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