Some botanists argue that in some cases the extraction of starch from sago palm is an easier alternative to traditional agricult - Essay Example

Download file to see previous pages One conclusion drawn from the research include the idea of using traditional sago palm as a source of starch proves to require more research before it can be implemented at a wider scale. According to Ellen, “…because variability in ecology, management, methods of working, and productivity are intrinsic to all individual sago-harvesting populations, it is, therefore a crucial parameter in understanding its adaptive features as a mode of subsistence and a source of food.” There is therefore a need for further study of the sago palm before it can be used as a substitute to traditional sources of starch. Another conclusion drawn from the research is that the skills and procedure needed in the extraction of starch from sago palm is more like “deliberately socially transmitted knowledge” (Ellen). This means that in order for one to perfect the extraction process, there must first be a knowledge of the culture that produces it, for sago extraction in the Pacific Islands and Southeast Asia is clearly interwoven in the culture of the people involved in it. Is this an interdisciplinary study? Explain your answer.  Ellen’s study is one which is interdisciplinary in nature. The reason is that the process of starch extraction from the traditional sago palm required the author to delve into the culture of the people of South Central Seram in Indonesia, who first developed the process. Without a knowledge of how the people incorporated the starch extraction process in their culture and without enough information on the traditional steps in starch extraction undertaken by the Seram natives, perfect use and further development of the technology would be impossible. Moreover, Ellen mentions a little bit the impact of the utilization of sago palm trees on the environment and the ecological balance of the area. Ellen’s study therefore combines biology, ecology and anthropology. Why is the number of structural components of the extraction apparatus not necessarily a gauge of the complexity or efficiency of the process?  The number of structural components of the basic extraction apparatus does not determine the efficiency of the process because the apparatus “can be modified and elaborated in numerous ways” depending on the overall desired result of the extraction process (Ellen). For example, the troughs can be arranged in many ways or more troughs can be added depending on what the priority of the extraction is, such as maximizing the amount of extracted starch. It is clear that no matter how many variations are done in this part of the process, the principle is still simple. What basic principles had to have been known to develop the technology?  Among the principles that need to have been known before the technology can be developed would include the seven core operations of sago extraction itself: “cutting, excavating, pounding, pressing or filtering with water, sedimentation and draining” (Ellen). Without a knowledge of such basic operations, one would not be able to exactly determine which part of the starch extraction technology needs the most improvement and development in order to maximize yield. Moreover, owing to the fact that sago palm starch extraction requires an interdiscipli ...Download file to see next pagesRead More