Vol. 3 No. 2 (2026): Global More-than-Human Histories of Palms
Mobilities, Diasporas, and Translocal Ecologies

A Perspective on the Historical Role and Future of Bactris Gasipaes as a Food Crop

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  • Javier Carrera
Javier Carrera
Independent
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3197/whppp.63876246815928

Published 2026-09-16

Keywords

  • Bactris gasipaes,
  • Agroforestry Systems,
  • Amazonian Domestication,
  • Indigenous Food Systems,
  • Perennial Staples

How to Cite

Carrera, Javier. 2026. “A Perspective on the Historical Role and Future of Bactris Gasipaes As a Food Crop”. Plant Perspectives 3 (2):218-37. https://doi.org/10.3197/whppp.63876246815928.

Copyright (c) 2026 Javier Carrera

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Abstract

Peach palm (Bactris gasipaes) is a domesticated perennial of the tropical Americas historically cultivated within Indigenous agroforestry systems. Interdisciplinary evidence indicates that it functioned as a staple in pre-Columbian Amazonia, embedded in diversified, human-managed forests. Despite its nutritional and agronomic potential, modern development efforts have not integrated it into contemporary food economies, largely due to a mismatch with prevailing models based on annual monocultures. Current production focuses on palm heart, while fruit use remains localised. This article argues that peach palm is better understood as a staple suited to agroforestry systems and may play a role in emerging regenerative and climate-resilient food strategies, provided that genetic diversity and traditional knowledge are maintained.

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