Palms for Development

The family of the palms, Arecaceae, is very large and is well distributed in the tropics. Among the palms there are three--the coconut, the date, and the African oil palm that serve humankind throughout the world with their local uses and their shipped products. Among the up to three thousand species, there are many hundreds with useful products, as this volume will document. And among palms in general, there are perhaps thousands of uses and potential uses, some documented in this book, among the well-known and unknown palms of the world. Thousands? The coconut palm itself is said to have at least a thousand uses. Around the world, members of the palm family are "staffs of life" providing food, fuel, thatch, timber, and many other items. Palms for Development introduces the reader to the fascinating world of palms with an emphasis on their use and potential for incorporation into development projects. It includes instruction on cultivating palms and an extensive listing of multi-purpose palms and their possible uses. All information is contained in screen optimized and print optimized formats. Almost fourty full color images and a searchable index are included. The CD is PC and Macintosh compatible and includes Adobe Reader. Published by ECHO, Inc.