Extraction of Starch from Sago Palm as an Easier Alternative to Traditional Agriculture - Essay Example

One conclusion drawn from the research includes 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 for traditional sources of starch.

            Another conclusion drawn from the research is that the skills and procedures needed in the extraction of starch from sago palm are 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 that 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 knowledge of how the people incorporated the starch extraction process into 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 about 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 interdisciplinary approach, the major processes like preparation of the stem for pith extraction, pounding, and the extraction of starch itself must be studied vis-à-vis the culture of the people who developed the basics of the sago starch extraction process.

Why would this method of starch extraction not be applicable to sugar extraction? 

This method of starch extraction is not applicable to sugar extraction because the latter involves juice treatment and juice boiling. Juice treatment in sugar extraction involves filtering the juice through a cloth in order to remove any dirt or solid particles. After this, there is boiling of the juice over a furnace to further clean the liquid. Moreover, the crushing of the sugar cane is made possible only through the use of equipment with metal rollers and, unlike the traditional sago palm starch extraction process, would require minimal direct human involvement (“Sugar Production”).

Examine the location of Seram (formerly Ceram) in an atlas. What was its role during the years of the spice trade?  

            Seram is one of the Maluku Islands, which are historically known as the Spice Islands of the 16th and 17th centuries – a name ascribed to the Maluku by the Chinese and the Europeans. The Maluku Islands were popular trading places for famous spices like nutmeg, mace, cloves, and many more. The people of Seram and its neighboring islands traded with the Chinese, the Arabs, and the Europeans like the Dutch, the Portuguese, and the Spanish (“Maluku Islands”).