Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Oil palm production'

This research work is on the determination of the properties of palm oil as potential base oil for producing bio based lubricants. The samples analysed were obtained from the open markets in the South West, South East and South South zones of Nigeria. Some of the physical and chemical properties such as viscosity, flash point, pour point, cloud point, specific gravity, acid number, noack volatility and aniline point were analysed. The samples were degummed, neutralised and bleached to remove the red colour (carotene) and gummy materials. The bleached samples were tested to determine the above mentioned properties. Comparison of the crude palm oil and the bleached samples with the conventional lubricants Mobil Super SAE20W40 and Mobil gear oil SAE75W90 was made. Finally, it was observed that the crude palm oil and the bleached sample exhibit good lubricating characteristics to be used as base oils for formulation of bio-lubricants. Despite palm oil being a food crop, an abundance of available land and the scale of prospective market demand suggest that commercial cultivation is unlikely to negatively affect food cultivation and the prices of food products.

The production of biodiesel using vegetables oils is studied. Palm oil and its use for production of biodiesel have been focused. Palm tree is very productive and one of the most profitable for biodiesel production. Among the oilseed crops palm tree produce more oil per hectare. Palm oil has a good availability and a competitive price. The production of palm oil at the industrial plantation level has caused environmental damage. The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil has established principles and criteria in order to certify a sustainable cultivation of the palm oil. The experimental work involves the production of biodiesel using corn oil. Ethanol and methanol are used as alcohols. Sodium and potassium hydroxides are selected as catalyst. The ratio alcohol to oil is the most important parameter in the production of biodiesel.  An excess of alcohol is required to drive the reaction to the right.  In the experiments with ethanol the yield of biodiesel increased with the ratio ethanol/oil achieving the highest yield at a molar ratio ethanol/oil: 7.78. In the experiments with methanol, using 0.9 g NaOH and 1 hour reaction time the highest yield was obtained with  a molar ratio methanol:oil = 9. Using KOH as catalyst and 2 hour reaction time a very good yield is already obtained with a molar ratio methanol:oil = 4.5 The amount of catalyst is another studied parameter. In the experiments with ethanol, the amount of 0.8 mg NaOH and 1.2 mg KOH for 200 ml corn oil (0.22 mol) is enough in order to obtain a good yield. An increase of the amount of catalyst does not produce an increase of the yield of biodiesel. In experiments with methanol, using the lowest tested amount catalyst (0.85 g KOH and 0.23 g NaOH) a good yield of biodiesel is obtained. The effects of the reaction time, rate of mixing and the reaction temperature were studied in the experiments with methanol. The yield of biodiesel increased when the reaction time is increased from 1 to 2 hours. The yield of produced biodiesel increased from 90% to 94% when the rate of mixing was increased from 500 to 1500 rpm. Often the transesterification is carried out at a temperature near the boiling point of alcohol. The highest yield was obtained at 60 oC with KOH and at 55 oC using NaOH but already at 40 oC a good yield was obtained (89%).

Oil palm has been considered one of the most favorable oilseeds to biodiesel production in Brazil. The crop has been cultivated in the north and northeast regions under commercial plantations and agroforestry systems. As the oil palm is a perennial crop, it is important to understand how the intensive cultivation affects the dynamic of soil organic matter in the long term. The goal of this work was to determinate the greenhouse gas emissions associated to the main production steps and the changes on soil organic carbon under oil palm plantations. Soil and greenhouse gas samples were collected in traditional production areas in Brazil. Commercial plantations derived from pasture and Amazon rain forest were selected in Pará State (Agropalma farm), while areas derived from Atlantic rain forest and agroforestry system were selected in Bahia State (Opalma farm and Lamego). At first, changes on soil carbon stocks were evaluated in the commercial plantations and agroforestry systems. The variability of soil carbon dynamics in the production areas can be explained by several aspects such as temporal and spatial variations, and prior land use. The soil carbon stocks, after corrections for differences in density and clay content, decreased till 46% in areas derived from pasture and increased 18% in an area derived from Amazon rain forest. The soil carbon stocks increased till 23% in areas derived from Atlantic rain forest and decreased 30% when agroforestry system was adopted. The soil nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from N fertilizer application were 10 times higher in the seedlings production than in juvenile and mature plantations, however this step represents 3.8% of the plant cycle. In general, the observed greenhouse gas emissions at different stages of oil palm production are not large than other agricultural crops in Brazil. The decomposition of plant residues also contributed to greenhouse gas emissions to the atmosphere. The carbon footprint associated to oil palm production at Agropalma farm was approximately 0.7 kg CO2 equivalent per kg of crude palm oil produced, and 70% this value is associated with the management of effluent in the anaerobic ponds emitting a large amount of methane to the atmosphere. The correct treatment of the effluent can result in reductions of greenhouse gas emissions, and consequently, decreasing the carbon footprint associated to palm oil production in the Amazon region. The results founded in this study may be used to improve the biodiesel life cycle assessment derived from palm oil produced in Brazil.
A palma (dendê) tem sido apontada como uma das oleaginosas mais viáveis para a produção de biodiesel no Brasil. Esta cultura tem sido cultivada nas regiões norte e nordeste em plantios comerciais e sistemas agroflorestais. Como é uma planta perene, é importante entender como o cultivo intensivo pode alterar a dinâmica da matéria orgânica do solo a longo prazo. O objetivo deste trabalho foi determinar as emissões de gases do efeito estufa nas principais fases do sistema produtivo e as mudanças nos estoques de carbono do solo sob cultivo da palma. Amostras de solos e gases do efeito estufa foram coletadas em áreas tradicionais de produção no Brasil. No Pará (fazenda Agropalma) foram selecionadas áreas derivadas de pastagem e Floresta Amazônica, enquanto na Bahia (fazenda Opalma e Lamego) foram selecionadas áreas derivadas de Mata Atlântica. Primeiramente foram avaliadas as mudanças nos estoques de carbono do solo sob sistemas comerciais e agroflorestais de cultivo. Os resultados indicaram que a variabilidade na dinâmica do carbono do solo em áreas de plantio de palma pode ser explicada por vários fatores, como as variações temporais e espaciais, e uso da terra anterior à instalação dos palmares. Os estoques de carbono do solo, após as correções pelas diferenças na densidade e teores de argila do solo, decresceram até 46% nas áreas derivadas de pastagem e aumentaram 18% na área derivada de Floresta Amazônica. Os estoques de C do solo aumentaram até 23% nos plantios comerciais derivados de Mata Atlântica e decresceram 30% quando foi adotado o sistema agroflorestal. As emissões de óxido nitroso (N2O) pelo solo derivadas da aplicação de fertilizantes nitrogenados foram 10 vezes maiores na produção de plântulas do que nos plantios jovens e adultos, entretanto, esta fase representa apenas 3,8% do ciclo de vida da planta. De forma geral, as emissões de gases do efeito estufa nos diferentes estágios de produção não foram maiores do que para outras culturas no Brasil. A decomposição dos resíduos culturais também contribuiu para as emissões de gases do efeito estufa para a atmosfera. A pegada de carbono associada a produção do óleo de palma pela Agropalma foi aproximadamente 0,7 kg CO2 equivalente por kg de óleo produzido, dos quais 70% estão associadas ao manejo de efluentes industriais nas lagoas anaeróbicas, que emitem uma grande quantidade de metano (CH4) para a atmosfera. O manejo correto do efluente pode resultar nas reduções das emissões de gases do efeito estufa, e consequentemente, diminuir a pegada de carbono associada a produção do óleo de palma na região Amazônica. Os resultados encontrados neste estudo poderão ser usados para fazer avaliações mais complexas como a avaliação do ciclo de vida do biodiesel derivado do óleo de palma no Brasil

This dissertation consists of three closely related essays on upgrading in agro-commodity value chains, which is an important issue for many developing countries that produce and export commodities in mostly unprocessed form. The essays are based on fieldwork in Malaysia and focus on its palm oil, which is the world’s largest oils and fats product by production and export volumes. The first essay examines the suitability of vertical specialisation for participation and upgrading in agro-commodity value chains based on the case of Malaysian palm oil. It uses data from interviews, site visits, and industry and economic statistics to analyse upgrading at the sector and firm levels. The essay suggests that upgrading is prone to sectoral linkage development and vertical integration at local lead firms. The development is driven by production characteristics, sectoral dynamics, eco-historical settings that are unique to agro-commodity value chains, as well as firm motives seeking resources, markets, efficiency gains, and strategic assets. The second essay studies Malaysia’s industrial policy for its palm oil sector through three distinct stages of development. The findings show that resource-based industrialisation (RBI) requires selective state intervention targeting macroeconomic conditions, infrastructure, business climate, and human capital. The Malaysian experience also highlights the importance of local firms in driving RBI investments, contrary to the emphasis in the literature which either overplays the importance of foreign linkages or dismisses nationality of firms as a non-factor for industrialisation. The third essay investigates economic and social outcomes from upgrading in the Malaysian palm oil sector using gross value added data. It shows that economic upgrading can but does not automatically lead to social upgrading. The essay finds that economic upgrading in value chains improves income of groups of individuals at different rates depending on their position in the value chains. Skills and productivity performance provide only partial explanation for the uneven social outcomes; the differences in institutional arrangements and political representation accorded to the groups are likely to be important factors as well.

It is estimated that about 26 million metric tons of oil palm oil residues are produced annually in Malaysia. The oil palm residues contain high ash content, high alkali metals and low lignin content. Ash and alkali metals lead to slagging in a combustion reactor and fouling of surfaces in convective tubes of heat exchangers. Low lignin content leads to disintegration of pellets during pellet handling and storage. This research thesis investigated the pelletization performance and the ash reduction on Empty Fruit Bunches (EFB) and Palm Kernel Shell (PKS) of oil palm residues by two different pre-treatment processes: steam explosion and water leaching. Steam explosion for increasing binding ability was performed by reacting EFB/PKS with saturated steam ranging from 120 to 220℃ for 5 minutes in a batch reactor. Water leaching for reducing the ash and alkali metals of EFB and PKS was investigated by immersing the samples in water from 25 to 55℃. The immersion time ranged from instantaneous to 240 minutes. Single pellets were made from water treated and steam treated samples. A significant ash reduction from 5.47 to 2.47 % was found for the EFB pellet due to water leaching. A slight reduction of pellet’s porosity and a significant reduction in ash content suggested that water leaching may be used to improve the quality of EFB as a biofuel. On the other hand, pre-treatment processes were not necessary for PKS, considering low binding ability and no ash reduction after pre-treatments. Kinetic models of EFB and PKS leaching were developed. A mass balance of cross flow process was investigated for evaluating the number of stages for a continuous leaching system of EFB and PKS. The techno-economic analysis showed that the additional leaching process costs $25.75 per tonne in a pellet making line.

Climate variability and climate change have become important research topics also in economics. The objective of this thesis is not to forecast the future but to learn from the past by studying how two important climate change-related topics have affected Indonesian households. Delayed monsoon onset, El Niño, will become more frequent with climate change whereas palm oil production is a contributor to climate change. The first essay examines how variability in monsoon onset affects rural households' welfare in terms of household expenditure and farm profits. Using the Indonesia Family Life Survey (IFLS) data I find that households in the middle tercile of the expenditure distribution face the biggest albeit temporary losses from delayed monsoon onset. Half of the expenditure decline is due to increase in household size. Conditional on onset, rainfall intensity has only minor effects. The second essay uses the IFLS data to study how schooling and child labour are affected by delayed monsoon onset. The probability of continuing from primary to secondary school is reduced when a delayed onset coincides with the transition year. In other respects, monsoon onset does not affect education of rural children. However, riskier distribution of rain postpones school entry for young children. Moreover, delayed onset increases child labour. Using district-level data on palm oil production and area planted and national household survey (SUSENAS) the third essay studies the impact of oil palm expansion on household expenditure and health. Instrumental variable estimates exploit the historical production and district forest area as an exogenous source of variation. I find that smallholder production has a weak negative impact on household expenditure but this effect is not present among rural households. More, total production increases incidence of asthma in Kalimantan. The findings suggest that palm oil is not a panacea to increase rural welfare.

CoordenaÃÃo de AperfeiÃoamento de Pessoal de NÃvel Superior
Uma unidade de produÃÃo contÃnua de biodiesel com carga de 8000 kg.h-1 de Ãleo de dendà e metanol, com o uso da rota de transesterificaÃÃo heterogÃnea foi simulada, projetada e analisada economicamente com o uso do software Aspen HYSYS 7.3 e de planilhas de cÃlculo. O pacote termodinÃmico NRTL foi empregado para representar as propriedades de todos os fluidos na simulaÃÃo. Reatores de leito fixo foram dimensionados utilizando simulaÃÃes numÃricas para atingirem 97,3% de conversÃo do Ãleo no processo. Os reatores foram operados isotermicamente a 64,8ÂC e com razÃo Ãlcool/Ãleo de 17,5. Uma coluna de destilaÃÃo foi projetada para recuperar 99% do metanol em excesso. Um decantador para separar as fases biodiesel e glicerina foi dimensionado atravÃs do cÃlculo do tempo de residÃncia t. Uma segunda coluna de destilaÃÃo a vÃcuo foi projetada para purificar a fase biodiesel atà atingir 99,97% m/m, de acordo com as especificaÃÃes da ANP. A fase glicerina foi purificada em uma coluna de destilaÃÃo flash a vÃcuo atà 99,53% m/m. O Investimento Total ITOTAL da unidade foi estimado pelo MÃtodo Fatorial Detalhado, resultando em um valor de US$ 5,798,469. Os Custos VariÃveis de ProduÃÃo (VCOP) foram estimados utilizando a precificaÃÃo de matÃrias primas, de catalisador e utilidades, enquanto que as receitas anuais foram calculadas com uso das precificaÃÃes do biodiesel e da glicerina. Os Custos Fixos de ProduÃÃo (FCOP) foram orÃados considerando os custos com mÃo de obra operacional, custos de supervisÃo, custos de manutenÃÃo e reparos, despesas corporativas e seguro. Para o cÃlculo do fluxo de caixa do projeto foi considerado o regime tributÃrio vigente no Brasil, com a inclusÃo do PIS/COFINS a uma taxa segundo a regra geral e a reduÃÃo de 69% deste para empresas que adquiram o selo social, uma taxa de 12% para o ICMS incididos sobre as receitas, 25% de IRPJ e 9% de CSLL incididos sobre o Lucro LÃquido antes do Imposto de Renda (LAIR). Foi obtido um Lucro LÃquido apÃs Impostos (LL) de US$ 2,340,889, valor este positivo em comparaÃÃo com processos convencionais que utilizam Ãleo de soja virgem. A viabilidade econÃmica do projeto foi analisada pelo cÃlculo do Valor Presente LÃquido (VPL) e pela Taxa Interna de Retorno (TIR). Foram obtidos um VPL de US$ 21.36 milhÃes de dÃlares e TIR de 39,0%, valores que demonstraram a viabilidade econÃmica do projeto. A anÃlise de sensibilidade de preÃos de matÃrias primas demonstrou tambÃm que o processo à viÃvel desde que os preÃos do Ãleo dendà nÃo aumentem ou os do biodiesel nÃo diminuam, ambos em 3%.
A continuous biodiesel production plant with an 8000 kg.h-1 inlet of palm oil and methanol, using the heterogeneous transesterification route was simulated, designed and economically assessed with the software Aspen HYSYS 7.3 and spreadsheets. The thermodynamic fluid package NRTL was selected in order to represent all properties of the fluids through the simulation. Packed-bed reactors were designed using numerical simulation to achieve an oil conversion of 97.3% in the process. The reactors were operated isothermally at 64.8ÂC and with an alcohol/oil ratio of 17.5. A vacuum distillation column was designed to recovery 99% of the methanol in excess. A decanter to separate the biodiesel and glycerin phases was designed through the calculation of residence time t. A second vacuum distillation column was designed to purify the biodiesel phase until a 99.97 wt%, in accordance with the ANP specifications. The glycerin phase was purified in a vacuum flash distillation column until a 99.53 wt%. The Total Capital Invested ITOTAL on the plant was estimated using the Detailed Factorial Method presenting the amount of US$ 5,798,469 was found. The Variable Costs of Production (VCOP) were estimated using the prices of raw materials, catalysts and utilities, whereas the annual revenues were calculated using the prices of biodiesel and glycerin. The Fixed Costs of Production (FCOP) were calculated using the operating labor costs, supervision, maintenance, corporate overheads and insurance. In order to calculate the cash flow of the project, the current tax regime in Brazil was used, including PIS/COFINS with a rate following the general rule and the reduction of 69% on it to companies with the social stamp, 25% of IRPJ and 9% of CSLL on the Net Profit before Income Taxes (NPIT). A Net Profit after Taxes (NP) of US$ 2,340,889 was obtained, a positive figure if compared to conventional processes using virgin soybean oil. The economic viability of the project was analyzed by calculating the Net Present Value (NVP) and Internal Rate of Return (IRR). A NVP of US $ 21.36 million and IRR of 39.0% were obtained, showing the economic viability of the project. The raw material price sensitivity analysis also showed that the process is feasible as long as palm oil prices do not increase or biodiesel do not decrease more than 3%.

Orientadora : Profa. Dra. Adenise Lorenci Woiciechowski
Coorientador : Prof. Dr. Carlos Ricardo Soccol
Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Federal do Paraná, Setor de Tecnologia, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Engenharia de Bioprocessos e Biotecnologia. Defesa: Curitiba, 28/07/2016
Inclui referências : f.22-29;51-54;77-81;105-109
Área de concentração: Agroindústrias e biocombustíveis
Resumo: O excessivo incremento na população, tem repercutido na alta demanda de combustíveis, alimento e químicos, sendo atualmente as principais fontes de energia e químicos não renováveis; petróleo, gás natural e carvão. O consumo e queima desmesurada tem repercutido na liberação na atmosfera de grandes quantidades de material particulado, gases de efeito estufa CO2, CH4, NOx e SOx, até níveis nunca registrados, repercutindo em mudanças climatológicas e alterações nos ecossistemas (efeito estufa). Portanto, para diminuir os efeitos desses gases na atmosfera, o impacto ambiental e melhorar a sustentabilidade da terra, existe a necessidade de desenvolver processos e produtos que sejam ambientalmente amigáveis, eficientes e sustentáveis. Nesse contexto, os materiais lignocelulósicos têm sido objeto de estudo no últimos anos, para produção de biocombustíveis, líquidos, sólidos e gasosos, e químicos de alto valor agregado. A utilização de biomassa como fonte de combustíveis e químicos tem uma grande vantagem sobre os convencionais processos petroquímicos, a geração de créditos de carbono pelo balanço negativo na produção total de CO2. No entanto, a viabilidade do uso de material lignocelulosico em processos industriais deve ser analisada mediante estudos técnico-econômicos e energéticos que permitam determinar o benefício econômico e a energia neta entregada pelo processo de biorefinamento de biomassa. A partir disso, neste trabalho é apresentado um estudo teórico-experimental da produção de etanol, xilitol e lignina usando os cachos vazios obtidos do processo de extração de óleo de palma Eleaeis Guineensis, cultivada no estado do Pará, Brasil. Foram desenvolvidos três pretratamentos: sequencial ácido/alcalino, explosão a vapor, explosão a vapor seguido de deslignificação alcalina. Dentro do conceito de biorrefinarias, foram caracterizadas e testadas diferentes propriedades biológicas da lignina obtida do processo ácido/alcalino, com a finalidade de propor usos alternativos da lignina fraccionada obtida nas etapas de pretratamento. Para determinar a efetividade dos pretratamentos foram desenvolvidos estudos experimentais de sacarificação enzimática analisada em função da digestibilidade enzimática dos cachos vazios tratados, no entanto, para determinar o tratamento mais adequado foi levado em consideração o balanço de energia e a energia neta entregada pela produção de etanol e lignina dentro do conceito de biorefineria.
Abstract: The global population is growing rapidly, therefore, the consumption of chemicals and fuels is largest, being the non-renewables the main sources of them. The consumption and burning of fossil fuels has had a significant impact on the environment and global climate, mainly because the presence of high levels in concentration of CO2, CH4, NOx and SOx in the atmosphere, producing changes in the environment, ecological disturbances and global warming. Consequently, at present it is necessary to develop new processes, using biotechnological and chemical tools, producing economical profits with environmentally friendly. The lignocellulosic biomass has been gaining special attention almost in the last two decades, because the uses of biomass as feedstock for biofuels and chemicals has a great advantage, which is the CO2 credits, by the negative balance of CO2 generation by the burning of biofuels. Nevertheless, the uses of lignocellulosic biomass as source of chemicals and biofuels must be analyzed through techno-economic and energetic evaluations, allowing to determine the economical profit and the net energy value given by the process. Based on this, this work presents the study of oil palm empty fruit bunches (OPEFB) as feedstock for ethanol, xylitol and lignin production, through theoretical and experimental approaches. Were made Three pretreatments; sequential acid/alkaline, steam explosion and steam explosion followed of alkaline delignification. The lignin obtained was characterized by conventional and modern techniques, to elucidate the presence of structures with industrial application, also, were tested different biological properties to re-valorize the lignin. The efficiency of pretreatment was measured in terms of enzymatic digestibility of OPEFB treated, however to determine the best pretreatment configuration, was carried out a techno-economic analysis, considering three possible configuration of biorefinery and four scenarios of production, producing twelve scenarios analyzed. The techno economic analysis was developed together with the energy balance of the process and determined the net energy value for all configuration and scenarios analyzed. Based on these results was established the most adequate configuration of biorefinery process in terms of economical profit and net energy value, for the biorefinery process of oil pam empty fruit bunches.

Kyoto University (京都大学)
0048
新制・課程博士
博士(農学)
甲第21312号
農博第2297号
新制||農||1065(附属図書館)
学位論文||H30||N5146(農学部図書室)
京都大学大学院農学研究科地域環境科学専攻
(主査)教授 舟川 晋也, 教授 縄田 栄治, 教授 北山 兼弘
学位規則第4条第1項該当

Orientador: Maria Helena Andrade Santana
Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Engenharia Química
Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-23T11:23:21Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Motta_FernandaLopes_D.pdf: 3417734 bytes, checksum: 1bedbddf5299dc8332b4762b7c232081 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013
Resumo: Ácidos húmicos (AH) são macromoléculas orgânicas de alta complexidade estrutural. Na agricultura, seus efeitos diretos na produtividade e na qualidade de diversos cultivos têm sido explorados desde 1940 e na última década houve um grande crescimento no seu emprego na medicina e na biologia. Embora suas inúmeras aplicações tenham atraído a atenção de muitos pesquisadores, os AH comerciais são ainda extraídos da turfa e do carvão mineral, fontes não renováveis de carbono, indicando a necessidade do desenvolvimento de um processo biotecnológico para sua produção. Empty-fruit-bunches (EFB) são resíduos do processamento do óleo de palma subutilizados ou descartados. Além disso, EFB são fibras constituídas de celulose, hemicelulose e lignina, cuja degradação pode ser alcançada por meio da ação de micro-organismos com alta capacidade de degradação de material lignocelulósico, como o Trichoderma. Neste contexto, este trabalho visou produção de AH a partir da fermentação de EFB com cepas de Trichoderma. Os resultados obtidos demonstraram que aveia é um substrato adequado para produção de esporos de Trichoderma em profundidade para sua aplicação como inóculo das fermentações submersas (FS) de EFB para produção de AH. A investigação dos precursores dos AH dentre os polímeros constituintes do EFB indicaram um efeito sinergético destes polímeros. Quanto à substituição do extrato de leveduras por peptonas vegetais nos meios de cultivo, para ambas fontes de nitrogênio os resultados encontrados para produção de biomassa e de AH foram muito similares. Através da otimização da produção dos AH por FS utilizando ferramentas de planejamento experimental foram obtidos 428,4±17,5 mg/L destes ácidos, permitindo um aumento de 7 vezes em relação às condições inicialmente utilizadas neste trabalho. A comparação da performance de espécies de Trichoderma na produção de AH por FS indicou a superioridade do T. reesei na produção destes ácidos. Por fim, a caracterização do processo de produção dos AH por fermentação em estado sólido (FES) utilizando colunas de Raimbault, onde foram obtidos 88,1 ±2,9 mg/L destes ácidos, confirmou a relação entre a esporulação do fungo e a produção dos AH, assim como a hipótese do efeito sinérgico dos polímeros. Os resultados obtidos demonstraram a factibilidade da produção dos AH por processos fermentativos, cuja descrição na literatura ainda é muito limitada, o que confere a este trabalho um caráter inovador
Abstract: Humic acids (HA) are organic macromolecules of high structural complexity. In agriculture, their direct effects on yield and quality of many crops have been exploited since 1940 and the last decade there was a large increase in their use in medicine and biology. Although they have attracted the attention of many researchers due to their numerous applications, commercials AH are still extracted from peat and coal, non-renewable carbon sources, indicating the necessity to develop a biotechnological process for their production. Empty-fruit-bunches (EFB) are waste of oil palm processing, which are underutilized or discarded, and their accumulation brings environmental problems due to the attraction and proliferation of pests. In addition, EFB fibers are composed of cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin, whose degradation can be achieved by the action of microorganisms with high capacity of lignocellulosic material degradation, such as Trichoderma. In this context, this work aimed to produce HA from the fermentation of EFB with Trichoderma species. The results showed that oats is a suitable substrate for the production of Trichoderma spores to be used as inoculum for application in submerged fermentations (SF) of EFB for the HA production. The investigation of the HA precursor among the constituents polymers from the EFB indicate a synergistic effect of these polymers. Regarding the replacement of yeast extract by vegetable peptones in the culture medium, for both nitrogen sources the results in the production of biomass and HA were very similar. Through the optimization of the HA production by SF using experimental design, were obtained 428.4 ± 17.5 mg/L of these acids, allowing an increase of 7-fold compared to initial conditions used in this work.. A comparison of the performance of Trichoderma species in the HA production by FS indicated the superiority of the T. reesei in the production of these acids. Finally, characterization of HA production process by solid state fermentation (SSF) using Raimbault columns, where were obtained 88.1 ±2.9 mg/L of these acids, confirmed the relationship between the fungal sporulation and the HA production as well as the hypothesis of synergistic effect of the polymers. The results demonstrated the feasibility of the HA production by fermentation process, whose description in the literature is still very limited, which confers an innovative character to this work
Doutorado
Desenvolvimento de Processos Biotecnologicos
Doutora em Engenharia Quimica

The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of chitosan against Ganoderma pathogen of basal stem rot (BSR) disease under in vitro and in vivo conditions. Therefore, this study was conducted to investigate the effect of chitosan on (1) in vitro growth of Ganoderma sp. (2) production of lignin degrading enzymes (LDE) by Ganoderma sp. under in vitro cultivation system (3) disease severity and vegetative growth parameters on oil palm seedlings and (4) elicitation of plant defense response during the interaction between host-pathogen (oil palm-Ganoderma).

L’humanité fait face aux défis urgents de réduire l’impact environnemental de l’agriculture, de changer les régimes alimentaires et d’accroître la production alimentaire. Le palmier à huile est une plante pérenne tropicale emblématique de ces défis. Alors que sa culture peut être à l’origine d’impacts environnementaux, le palmier à huile peut produire, en conditions optimales, 7 à 10 fois plus d’huile alimentaire que les cultures oléagineuses annuelles. Dans ce contexte, améliorer la durabilité de la production d’huile de palme est crucial, tant pour réduire les impacts environnementaux négatifs que pour garantir la sécurité alimentaire. L’application de fertilisants azotés (N) a été identifiée comme une source majeure d’impacts environnementaux dus à la culture du palmier. Des analyses de cycle de vie de l’huile de palme ont été réalisées pour quantifier les impacts et identifier des améliorations de pratiques agricoles. Cependant, les seuls modèles d’émissions disponibles pour estimer les pertes de N dans l’environnement sont généralement valides pour les cultures annuelles et en climat tempéré. L’utilisation de tels modèles dans l’analyse de cycle de vie peut mener à des résultats très incertains ou à une faible sensibilité aux pratiques. L’objectif global de ce travail de recherche était d’aider à l’identification de pratiques pour réduire les pertes de N dans l’environnement. Le cœur du travail était le développement d’un modèle estimant toutes les pertes de N dans les plantations, tout en étant sensible aux pratiques. L’étude s’est concentrée sur les flux de N dans les plantations de palmiers sur sols minéraux. Nous avons réalisé quatre étapes pour mener à bien cette recherche. Premièrement, nous avons mené une revue de littérature de tout le savoir existant concernant les flux et pertes de N dans les plantations. Deuxièmement, nous avons comparé 11 modèles existants, pouvant être utilisés pour prédire les pertes de N dans les plantations. Troisièmement, nous avons réalisé une analyse de sensibilité de Morris approfondie du modèle mécaniste APSIM-Oil palm. Quatrièmement, nous avons construit IN-Palm, un indicateur agri-environnemental pour les pertes de N dans les plantations. Nous avons utilisé la méthode INDIGO® et l’approche de modélisation par arbres de décisions flous pour développer IN-Palm, et nous avons validé cet indicateur en utilisant des mesures de lixiviation de N d’une plantation à Sumatra, Indonésie. Notre revue de littérature et notre comparaison de modèles ont montré que les particularités du palmier à huile peuvent affecter significativement les dynamiques et pertes de N. Nous avons identifié des manques de recherche et des incertitudes sur les pertes de N, leurs déterminants et la modélisation des particularités du palmier. Nous avons identifié les déterminants des pertes de N et du rendement dans le modèle mécaniste APSIM-Oil palm. Nous avons développé IN-Palm, qui utilise 21 variables d’entré facilement accessibles pour estimer chaque voie de perte de N. Les prédictions de lixiviation de N par IN-Palm étaient acceptables, et IN-Palm s’est montré efficace pour tester des changements de pratiques agricoles. Cette recherche constitue une synthèse exhaustive des connaissances et modèles disponibles pour les flux et pertes de N dans les plantations. L’un des principaux résultats est un nouvel indicateur agri-environnemental, IN-Palm, sensible aux pratiques et conditions locales, de même qu’utilisable en tant que modèle d’émission dans des approches holistiques. Cet indicateur peut être une base utile pour de futures recherches sur l’utilisation d’indicateurs agri-environnementaux pour réduire l’incertitude des analyses cycle de vie, et pour de futures adaptations à d’autres plantes pérennes tropicales
Humanity faces the challenges of urgently decreasing the environmental impact of agriculture, shifting diets and increasing food production. Oil palm is a tropical perennial crop emblematic of these challenges. While its cultivation can be associated with environmental impacts, oil palm can produce 3 to 7 t of edible oil ha-1 in optimal conditions, which is 7 to 10 fold higher than in annual oil crops. In this context, improving palm oil production sustainability is crucial for both reducing negative environmental impacts and ensuring food security. Application of synthetic nitrogen (N) fertilisers was identified as a major source of environmental impacts associated with the cultivation of oil palm. Life cycle assessments of palm oil have already been performed to help quantify impacts and identify potential improvements of management practices. However, the only available emission models to estimate N losses to environment are generally valid for annual crops and temperate climate conditions. The use of such general models in life cycle assessment may lead to very uncertain results or to low sensitivity of assessments to management practices. The overall objective of this research work was to help identify management practices to reduce N losses in the environment. The core of the work was hence to develop a model that estimates all N losses in oil palm plantations, while being sensitive to management practices. The study focused on N fluxes in industrial oil palm plantations on mineral soils. We performed four steps in order to complete the objectives of this research work. First, we conducted a literature review of all the existing knowledge about N fluxes and losses in plantations. Second, we compared 11 existing models that may be used to predict N losses in plantations. Third, we performed an in-depth Morris’s sensitivity analysis of one of the models, the APSIM-Oil palm process-based model. Fourth, we used all the information identified in the previous chapters, together with expert knowledge, to build IN-Palm, an agri-environmental indicator for N losses in oil palm plantations. We used the INDIGO® method and the fuzzy decision tree modelling approach to develop IN-Palm, and we validated this indicator using a field dataset of N leaching from a plantation in Sumatra, Indonesia. Our literature review and model comparison showed that oil palm peculiarities may impact significantly N dynamics and losses. We identified research gaps and uncertainties about N losses, their drivers and the modelling of oil palm peculiarities. We identified the main drivers of N losses and yield in the APSIM-Oil palm processbased model. We built IN-Palm, which uses 21 readily available input variables to estimate each N loss pathway. IN-Palm predictions of N leaching were acceptable, and IN-Palm has shown efficient to help testing management changes. This research constitutes a comprehensive synthesis of the available knowledge and models for N fluxes and losses in oil palm plantations. One of the main results is a novel agri-environmental indicator, IN-Palm, operationally-oriented, sensitive to local practices and environmental conditions, as well as potentially useable as an emission model for holistic approaches such as life cycle assessment. The INDIGO® method and fuzzy decision tree modelling approach were shown to be very well adapted for building agri-environmental indicators in contexts of knowledge scarcity. This indicator can be a useful base for further research about using agrienvironmental indicators to reduce uncertainty in life cycle assessment, and for future adaptations for other tropical perennial crops

A large part of energy carriers and chemicals of our society come from fossil fuels; due to their critical exploitation and environmental concerns, alternative solutions should be promoted. The goal of this work is to understand the environmental impacts of different supply chains of levulinic acid production. To enable this comparison, a cradle-to-gate LCA was conducted on different kinds of biomasses, under an innovative thermochemical process called Biofine. The study concerns biomass not only of agri-food origin (corn stover, barley straw, wheat straw), but also deriving from the waste collection supply chain (organic fraction of municipal solid waste). Results show that biochemicals production from waste-derived biomass represent the lowest environmental impact solution, compared to the supply chain with biomass of agri-food origin. For agri-food biomasses, the impacts deriving from the agricultural phase are orders of magnitude more significant than those of the industrial phase, while the transport phase is the least impacting in absolute terms. For waste-derived biomasses, transport is the most impacting phase of the entire supply chain.

Energy is a basic requirement for human existence and its consumption increases every year. Currently, most of the energy needs come from conventional fossil fuels, such as gasoline, liquefied petroleum gas, petrodiesel and natural gas. However, the use of fossil fuels has serious environmental problems associated with it. One of the most promising alternative (renewable) energy sources is biodiesel. Usually the production of biodiesel is a catalyzed process, in which alkaline or acid catalysts are used, for the conversion of triglycerides (transesterification reaction) and free fatty acids (esterification reaction) into fatty acid methyl esters (FAME), using methanol. In this context, heterogeneous catalysts have recently attracted the attention of researchers due to their advantages over the homogeneous ones in terms of higher biodiesel yield, higher glycerol purity, easier catalyst separation (simple filtration), less corrosive and more environmentally "friendly”. The present work aimed to prepare an efficient bifunctional solid catalyst (capable of simultaneously catalyzing the transesterification and esterification reactions), from residual materials, to produce FAME from low-cost vegetable oil mixtures (waste cooking oil (WCO) and refined palm oil (RPO)) and methanol. The optimization of the production process in both a batch reactor and a continuous fixed-bed reactor is also an objective of the work. The biomass fly ash (FAD) was selected from among other studied residual raw materials (natural dolomite rock, chicken eggshells and polyethylene terephthalate - PET), for exhibiting the best performance in the production of FAME, and also for having a bifunctional character. The maximum yield of FAME reached (non-optimized process), in the raw materials selection stage, was about 96 wt%, at 60 oC, 9:1 (mol/mol) methanol/oil ratio, 10 wt% FAD loading, for 180 min in a batch reactor. In the production optimization stage in a batch reactor, using FAD, the maximum FAME yield reached was 73.8 % for the operating conditions: 13.57 wt% of catalyst loading, 6.7 of methanol/oil molar ratio, 72 wt% of WCO/RPO at 55 oC. It was observed that the catalyst could be used in up to three consecutive cycles without loss of catalytic activity. For the optimization in the continuous fixed bed reactor, with the pelletized FAD, the maximum concentration of FAME reached was 89.7 %, under the following operating conditions: 124 min residence time, 74.6 wt% of WCO/RPO, 12:1 methanol/oil molar ratio at 60 oC. The catalyst was stable during the 32 hours of continuous operation, without significant deactivation. The present work contributes to the biodiesel production process being more aligned with the principles stablished by circular economy, by integrating waste, either with a catalytic function (FAD) or as a raw material (WCO). A residual material that needs a very simple physical treatment (drying) was selected to be used (biomass fly ash) in a discontinuous process for the production of FAME. Furthermore, this material in granulated form continues to exhibit excellent catalytic properties, thus allowing continuous production of FAME. The results of this work are very promising, especially when looking towards a future industrial application.
A energia é um requisito básico para a existência humana e seu consumo aumenta a cada ano. Atualmente, a maior parte das necessidades energéticas é suprida pelos convencionais recursos de origem fóssil, tais como a gasolina, o gás liquefeito de petróleo, o petrodiesel e o gás natural. No entanto, o uso de combustíveis fósseis tem associados sérios problemas ambientais. Uma das fontes de energia alternativa (renovável) mais promissora é o biodiesel. Normalmente a produção de biodiesel é um processo catalisado, no qual são utilizados catalisadores alcalinos ou ácidos, para a conversão de triglicerídeos (reação de transesterificação) e ácidos gordos livres (reação de esterificação) em ésteres metílicos de ácidos gordos (FAME), utilizando metanol. Neste contexto, recentemente os catalisadores heterogéneos têm chamado a atenção dos investigadores pelas suas vantagens relativamente aos catalisadores homogéneos, nomeadamente em termos de maior rendimento de biodiesel, maior pureza do glicerol, separação mais fácil do catalisador (filtração simples), menos corrosivos e ambientalmente “mais amigáveis”. O presente trabalho teve como objetivo preparar um catalisador sólido bifuncional eficiente (i.e., capaz de catalisar simultaneamente as reações de transesterificação e esterificação), a partir de materiais residuais, com vista à produção de FAME a partir de misturas de óleos vegetais de baixo custo (óleo alimentar usado (OAU) e óleo de palma refinado (OPR)), e metanol. Também constituiu um objetivo de trabalho a otimização do processo de produção tanto num reator descontínuo como num reator de leito fixo contínuo. A cinza volante de biomassa (FAD) foi selecionada, de entre outros materiais residuais (rocha dolomítica natural, casca de ovo de galinha e tereftalato de polietileno - PET) estudados, por ter exibido melhor desempenho na produção de FAME, e também deter um caráter bifuncional. O rendimento máximo de FAME alcançado (processo não otimizado), na etapa de seleção dos materiais, foi cerca de 96 % (m/m), a 60 oC, 9:1 (mol/mol) razão metanol/óleo, 10 % (m/m) de carga de FAD, durante 180 min em reator descontínuo. Na etapa de otimização da produção em reator descontínuo, usando FAD, o rendimento máximo de FAME registado foi de 73.8 % para as condições operacionais: 13.6 % (m/m) de carga de catalisador, 6.7 de razão molar metanol / óleo, 72 % (m/m) de OAU/OPR e 55 oC. Observou-se que catalisador pode ser usado pelo menos até três ciclos consecutivos sem perda de atividade catalítica. Na otimização da produção de FAME em reator de leito fixo contínuo, com a FAD peletizada, a concentração máxima de FAME registada foi de 89.7 %, nas seguintes condições operacionais: 124 min de tempo de residência, 74.6 % (m/m) de OAU/OPR, 12:1 razão molar metanol/óleo e 60 °C. O catalisador manteve-se estável ao longo de 32 h de operação contínua, sem desativação perceptível. O presente trabalho dá um contributo para tornar o processo de produção de biodiesel mais alinhado com os princípios da economia circular, através da integração de resíduos, quer com uma função catalítica (FAD), quer como matéria-prima (OAU). Selecionou-se um material residual (cinza volante de biomassa) que necessita de um tratamento físico muito simples (secagem), para ser utilizado num processo descontínuo de produção de FAME. Além disso, este material na forma peletizada, continua a exibir excelentes propriedades catalíticas, permitindo assim a produção de FAME em contínuo. Os resultados deste trabalho são muito promissores, sobretudo quando se perspetiva uma futura aplicação industrial.
Programa Doutoral em Engenharia Química

Dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Geospatial Technologies
As the largest agricultural country in South East Asia, Indonesia possesses enormous agriculture resources. In the last decade, the Government of Indonesia has focused on the production development of 4F crops, meaning crops for the production of Food, Feed, Fiber, and Fuel. In 2014, Indonesia had about 101 million hectares agricultural land which comprised of approximately 47 million hectares cultivated area and the remaining 54 million hectares were expandable agriculture lands. However, the expansion has to consider Indonesia Law No. 44 in Year 2009 (Undang – Undang No 4 Tahun 2009) regarding the security of sustainable food cropland that restricts the conversion of food cropland into timber forest, industry or settlements. In fact, unwanted land use land cover (LULC) change happened due to the excessive expansion of oil palm, rubber, pulpwood and mining industries particularly in East Kalimantan. Two districts that exhibit significant LULC change are Kutai Barat and Mahakam Ulu. An additional 78.5 thousand ha of rubber, 31 thousand ha of oil palm and 23.6 thousand ha of pulpwood plantations have dominated the LULC change in Kutai Barat and Mahakam Ulu districts from 1990 to 2009. Although in general, the agricultural expansion has become the main cause of unwanted LULC change and forest cover loss, these have also contributed to positive economic benefit. In order to evaluate the economic benefit of historic agricultural expansion as well as to estimate the economic benefit of future agricultural expansion, it is necessary to look thoroughly at the geographic distribution of crop yields within the districts because we would like to understand the crop yield for every agriculture production area. The issue on the existing crop statistic data is that the crop statistics are conveyed as tabular-based data and reported at the national, provincial or district level of detail. Thus, examining crop distribution in district level is certainly challenging. Hence, a spatial crop yield allocation model was applied to generate pixel-level crop yield representation of Kutai Barat and Mahakam Ulu districts in 2000 and 2009 based upon available the regional crop statistics data and the existing LULC maps and further analyze its spatial-temporal pattern within this period of time. Furthermore, an evaluation of crop yield production and the agriculture 2 expansion trend from 2000 to 2009 were applied to a 2030 land use projection from a land use change model to project the pixel level crop yield in 2030. Between 2000 and 2009, rubber plantation exhibits land expansion and followed by the increase of yield. While the expansion of oil palm in 2009 is followed by the degradation of yield. We presume this due to the oil palm plantation in 2009 is still in early harvesting stage. The accuracy of disaggregation model is highly depending on the quality of data particularly crop statistic data and LULC map. The deviation between these two data leads to the occurrence of a high error in disaggregation results. By estimating oil palm and rubber yield based on projected LULC maps in 2030, the future expansion is suggested to follow the Limited Unrestricted scenario since this scenario is able to provide highest average yield with relatively small area among other scenarios. In this manner, either government or people in Kutai Barat and Mahakam Ulu are able to gain optimal agricultural benefit without sacrificing an excessive number of land resources.

The thesis deals with the creation of composite indicators in order to compare the social and economic development of Indonesian provinces selected on the basis of the extent of palm oil production. The theoretical part provides the basic overview of the concept of regional development and description of the process of composite indicators creation. The analytical part is focused to creation of composite indicators and also contains correlation and cluster analysis. In the final part are proposed recommendations on how to improve the situation regarding the palm oil production in Indonesia.

Palm oil empty fruit bunches (EFB) is an abundant and cheap lignocellulose material in South East Asia. Its use as the sole medium for producing lignocellulose-hydrolyzing enzymes would increase its commercial value. A newly isolated Aspergillus niger DSM 26641 was investigated for its capability of producing hemicellulases in EFB hydrolysate obtained by treatment with pressurized hot water (1-20%, w/v) at 120-180◦C in a 1 L Parr reactor for 10-60 min. The optimal hydrolysate for the fungal growth and endoxylanase production was obtained when 10% (w/v) of empty fruit bunch was treated at 120◦C or 150◦C for 10 min, giving an endoxylanase activity of 24.5 mU ml-1 on RBB-Xylan and a saccharification activity of 5 U ml-1 on xylan (DNS assay). When the hydrolysates were produced at higher temperatures, longer treatment times or higher biomass contents, only less than 20% of the above maximal endoxylanase activity was detected, possibly due to the higher carbohydrate concentrations in the medium. Transcriptome analysis showed that 3 endoxylanases (expression levels 59-100%, the highest level was set as 100%), 2 b-xylosidases (4%), 4 side chain-cleaving arabinofuranosidases (1-95%), 1 acetyl xylan esterase (9%) and 2 ferulic acid esterases (0.3-9%) were produced together.

博士
國立屏東科技大學
熱帶農業暨國際合作系
105
Oil palm is one of the most crucial crops in tropical regions worldwide, particularly in Southeast Asia. Thailand is the third largest oil palm producer in the world. In addition, Thailand also has a strong of oil palm production that represents a significant portion of the Thai economy and intensive labor force. The most of oil palm plantation area and oil palm extraction plants are located in Southern region of Thailand; however, the plantation area in this area has reached its limit. The Thai government has released several strong policies to improve oil palm production throughout the country. These policies have been implemented throughout the country, particularly at a regional level. Therefore, technology production of oil palm is variously different across the four regions of Thailand. The purposes of this study are to measure the technical efficiency and trend of productivity’s change in Thai oil palm production. The study examined four regions; Northern, Northeastern, Central, and Southern Thailand, covering 77 provinces. Consequently, this study assessed the technical efficiency of oil palm productivity by using a sample of 77 DMUs (decision making units) in the four regions. Secondary data were collected from Thai oil palm plantations in four regions from 2007 to 2016 by using a three-stage data envelopment analysis model and Malmquist productivity index analysis. Firstly, this study used three-stage data envelopment analysis approach with input-oriented model for measuring efficiency of oil palm production in Thailand. Data envelopment analysis is a measure of performance and output and input variables of each DMU are the basic components of efficiency. Thus, the selection variables are very important in determining the measurement of efficiency. This study considers the output variables that is oil yield and price of quantity and analyzed a total of five input variables, namely plantation area, fertilizer, pesticide, number of tractors and labor force. Furthermore, the analysis of two environmental factors includes temperature and rainfall volume. Finally, Malmquist productivity index was used to measure the changes in oil palm production efficiency and to estimate the oil palm productivity trend in over a ten-year period by using Malmquist productivity index approach. Malmquist Productivity Index can be decomposed into two components, i.e. technical change and efficiency change. Malmquist productivity index’s score with equal 1 represents the unchanged growth rate for productivity, greater than 1 shows the productivity growth, and less than 1 means the productivity decline. The findings indicate that the technical efficiency scores using the adjusted inputs in stage 3 of the DEA approach were less than the efficiency scores in stage 1 of the DEA approach. Moreover, the results also showed that Southern region had the best scores of technical efficiency throughout the region, followed by Central, Northeastern and Northern region, respectively. Malmquist index of Thai oil palm production showed an upward trend because of the increasing trends found in both the technical change and the efficiency change. Thus, the results showed that the productivity index has increased, which means that the country has improved in productivity for oil palm production in Thailand from 2007 to 2016. The findings from this study contribute to improving efficiency production for sustainable development. Therefore, this study can provide important information to the farmers, Thai government, the oil palm research institutes and the development partners to determine strategies that are useful and practical in raising efficiency performance in each region and to help increase the trend of oil palm productivity index in some areas of Thailand.

Dans le cadre de la recherche d’appui à la phase III du projet huile de palme rouge (HPR) au Burkina Faso, une étude de base a porté sur 150 femmes de la zone de production échantillonnées par la méthode aléatoire géographique. Leur statut en vitamine A (VA) a été évalué par HPLC et leurs apports alimentaires par un questionnaire de fréquence de consommation. Les connaissances, les perceptions, les habitudes d’utilisation et de consommation de l’HPR ont été explorées par un questionnaire pré-testé administré au domicile des participantes. Une étude comparative sur la qualité nutritionnelle, physico-chimique, microbiologique et sensorielle de 13 échantillons d’HPR de différentes provenances a été également réalisée. La prévalence de faibles rétinolémies était de 10,7% et les apports en VA provenaient à 90% des aliments d’origine végétale. Seules 5,9% des femmes productrices présentaient une faible rétinolémie, comparativement à 20,8% des femmes non-productrices d’HPR. Les échantillons d’HPR présentaient un profil satisfaisant mais quelques-uns étaient limites au plan microbiologique. En outre, aucun échantillon ne se distinguait nettement selon tous les paramètres de qualité étudiés. Cette étude démontre que les aliments d’origine végétale riches en caroténoïdes provitaminiques A, dont l’HPR qui en est la meilleure source, peuvent permettre d’avoir un statut adéquat en VA. Les risques de contamination de l’HPR au stade de la vente au détail impliquent une sensibilisation et une formation aux pratiques exemplaires de manipulation. Mots clés : Huile de palme rouge, vitamine A, diversification alimentaire, qualité, Burkina Faso.
The research activities of the phase III of the Red Palm Oil (RPO) project in Burkina Faso included a baseline study with 150 women of the RPO production area randomly selected by the Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) random walk method. Their vitamin A (VA) status was assessed by HPLC and their dietary intake of VA by a food frequency questionnaire. The knowledge, perceptions, use and consumption patterns of RPO were assessed by individual interviews with a questionnaire. A comparative study on the physico-chemical, nutritional, microbiological and sensory quality of 13 RPO samples from different countries was also carried. The prevalence of low serum retinol was 10.7% and the dietary intake of VA was provided up to 90% by plant foods. Only 5.9% of women involved in RPO production presented a low retinol compared with 20.8% of women not producing RPO. The quality of the RPO samples was adequate although the microbiological counts were borderline for some samples. None of the samples presented an outstanding quality profile according to the criteria used. The study shows that provitamin A-rich plant foods, and RPO in particular as the highest source, can sustain an adequate VA status. The risk of contamination of RPO during retailing needs to be tackled through awareness and training in best manipulation practices. Key words: Red palm oil, vitamin A, food diversification, quality, Burkina Faso.