May 15-16, 2025, Utrecht University
Entangled Oils: Transnational and Interwoven Histories of Indonesian Coconut and Palm Oil
Paper by Maliene Kip, TU Eindhoven
Abstract:
This paper explores the comparative development of coconut oil and palm oil as major export commodities from Indonesia, tracing their trajectories from the 1900s onward. Coconut oil and copra, derived from the region’s native coconut palm, transitioned from socially embedded products, cultivated by smallholder farmers, into an important vegetable oil within international trade networks. Meanwhile, palm oil, introduced from Africa by colonial trading enterprises, was quickly integrated into Indonesia’s large-scale plantation systems, facilitated by mechanized processing and global market demands. These distinct yet interwoven commodification trajectories are tightly interlinked with the development of Indonesia’s social and environmental landscape.
Western colonial powers, such as the Netherlands, played pivotal roles in shaping agricultural trade policies and facilitating the introduction of plantation economies. Multinational corporations further accelerated these processes by driving technological innovation and the creation of new markets for vegetable oils, and catering to evolving consumer demand. Meanwhile, Indonesian stakeholders—ranging from smallholder farmers to political actors— actively adapted practices, negotiated trade dynamics, and challenged external impositions. These power dynamics underpin the commodification processes of coconut and palm oil and accordingly, this article will examine the interrelations between global actors—colonial powers, multinational corporations, and consumer markets—and Indonesian local realities in shaping these industries. Furthermore, it will zoom in on the entwinement of these industries with global trade systems, knowledge production, and sustainability narratives, highlighting their role in the development of industrial food systems.
This paper draws on a recently developed dataset that tracks over a century of trade flows of oils and fats, such as palm oil, copra, and coconut oil, offering insights into exporting dynamics and geographical shifts in processing. In addition to utilizing the dataset, this article synthesizes insights from academic studies and diverse bodies of literature to contextualize findings and provide a comprehensive overview of existing research and identify gaps and opportunities for further study. While broad strands of literature exist on the singular commodification process of palm oil, and – albeit to a much lesser extent – on the singular trajectory of coconut oil and copra, there is less known about the comparative dynamic between these two commodities. By synthesizing insights from the dataset and existing academic studies, the paper highlights the entangled histories of these commodities and situates the palm and coconut industries within broader debates on food system networks and their connections to sustainability developments.