This open access book addresses a wide variety of events and technologies concerning the sago palm, ranging from its botanical characteristics, culture and use to social conditions in the places where it is grown, in order to provide a record of research findings and to benefit society. It discusses various subjects, including the sago palm and related species; differentiation of species of starch-producing palm; habitat, morphological, physiological and growth characteristics; culture and management; productivity of carbon dioxide; starch extraction and manufacture; characteristics and utilization of starch; and cultural anthropological and folkloristic aspects. Problems such as food shortages due to increasing populations, global warming and climate change, and decreasing reserves of oil and other underground resources, have become more pressing in recent years. In the context of these problems, the book examines the role of the sago palm in sustainable food production, in the manufacture of other foodstuffs, as a raw material for ethanol and in the manufacture of biodegradable plastics. In addition to academics, this book will be useful to researchers and government officials working for international agencies, national governments, municipalities, and other research organizations; technicians, researchers, managers, entrepreneurs, and others working in industries such as agriculture, plant production, food production, manufacturing, chemical engineering, energy production, and distribution.

In order to produce sufficient quantities of food to feed the world's growing population, we need to increase the food producing capacities of crops and to protect the environments in which they grow. Discovering untapped plant resources is an important challenge, but a haphazard increase in food production may cause environmental damage. We need foresight and must take sound appropriate actions. The sago palm is a plant that might fulfill all of these requirements. The sago palm accumulates more starch than any other plant in the world, yet, in global terms, it continues to languish in relative obscurity. The Japanese Society of Sago Palm Studies was formed in the hope of raising its profile by hosting seminars and symposiums in Japan and overseas to help it achieve the recognition it deserves. To this end, the Society's members have worked together to produce this volume, written in an easy-to-read style. [Subject: Botany, Agriculture, Conservation, Environmental Studies]

Sago palm (Metroxylon sagu Rottb.) is an extremely hard plant that grows widely in Eastern Indonesia. Sago has been explored and used as a raw material with many potential advantages due to its availability and still very much underutilized. This condition provides a good opportunity for Indonesia, considering that this country accounted for 51.3% of the total hectarage of sago palms in the world. As a starch-producing plant, sago does not only have a great potential to strengthen the national food security; but can also be used as raw material for innumerable other products of significant commercial value, and is essential for industrial development. Despite these multiple potential uses and benefits of the sago palm, national development program utilizing sago as an abandoned local resource is very limited. According to study, the sago palm national program makes up only 0.05% of the total state budget (ABPN) during 2012–2014. This makes the sago resources underutilized and tend to be neglected. In this monograph, The Indonesian Sago Palm: Unraveling Its Potential for National Development, the experts would like to suggest that better management and utilization of sago in Indonesia is a must in order to support the national development. This monograph shows that a great potential of sago palm has not yet been recognized; and consequently, has not been identified as a priority crop; both for food security and industrial development.

Each of the 169 specially selected plants featured in this book is showcased in glorious full color. Valuable information on planting, caring, and protection is included for each plant and a map designates each plant's preferred growing zones.