The Palm Oil Trade in West Africa for AP World History

Jan 26

2 min read

The palm oil trade in West Africa is an illustrative example for the Global Economic Development topic in Unit 6 of AP World History. You could reference this example on your AP World History test.

palm oil plantation — 2025523610/Shutterstock

During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the palm oil trade in West Africa epitomized an export economy heavily reliant on trade with industrial imperial powers, yet marked by significant trade imbalances. West Africa, particularly regions such as Nigeria, Ghana, and the Ivory Coast, boasted extensive palm oil plantations, where oil palms were cultivated for their valuable fruit.

European colonial powers, notably Britain, capitalized on West Africa’s palm oil resources to meet the increasing demand for palm oil in industrialized nations. Palm oil served a variety of purposes, including cooking, soap production, and as a lubricant in machinery, making it an essential commodity for industrial applications. European traders established control over palm oil production and trade networks, exploiting African labor and resources to maximize profits.

Despite the significant quantities of palm oil exported to industrialized imperial powers, the trade relationship was characterized by a trade imbalance, with West African colonies importing a disproportionate amount of manufactured goods in return for their raw materials. Industrialized nations, leveraging their economic dominance, dictated trade terms that favored their own interests, perpetuating economic dependency and underdevelopment in West Africa.

The trade imbalance had profound consequences for the economies of West African colonies. Despite their abundance of natural resources, they remained economically subordinate to industrialized imperial powers, hindering their development and perpetuating cycles of poverty and dependency. Moreover, the palm oil trade contributed to environmental degradation, as large-scale plantations often led to deforestation and habitat loss, impacting local ecosystems and biodiversity.

The palm oil trade in West Africa underscores the exploitative nature of colonial economic relationships, where colonies served as resource extraction zones for the benefit of industrial imperial powers. Despite the economic gains derived from palm oil production, West African colonies faced economic subordination and environmental degradation, highlighting the enduring legacy of colonialism in shaping global economic structures and inequalities.