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概要：
2 Kochi University Review No. 102companies which have advertised palm oil-based detergents as “environment-friendly”was exposed to social criticism from environmental NGOs5, and, with the news about....

2 Kochi University Review No. 102companies which have advertised palm oil-based detergents as “environment-friendly”was exposed to social criticism from environmental NGOs5, and, with the news aboutthe problems having spread gradually, palm oil has become the center of concern fromJapanese consumers invisibly connected with the production center.This paper attempts to examine the structure, dynamics and contradictions ofMalaysian export-oriented palm oil industry and its effects on local, national andinternational spheres. In particular, it offers an approach to understand the industrialtrajectory from a critical analysis of agribusiness capital. By investigating characteristicsand behavior of agribusinesses, which are the main driving forces of the development,the underlying structure not only of the “light” of industrial growth mechanism emphasizedby business circles but also of “shadows” or contradictions criticized by localpeople and international NGOs will be made clear.After surveying the positions, roles and effects of Malaysian palm oil, this paperanalyzes the structure and dynamics of agribusiness capital. Then, some socio-politicalcontradictions arising from agribusiness-led development will be revealed. Lastly,conclusion and prospects will be expressed briefly.1. Palm Oil Development and Transformation into NACsPalm oil has experienced the biggest growth of agricultural exports from developingcountries. Table 1 shows the long-term trend of world vegetable oil production andexports from 1965 to 2005. Palm oil production increased about 24 times during thepast 40 years, and recently it surpassed soybean oil at the top of the world vegetable oilproduction. Palm oil exports also increased by 43 times, with the highest market shareof 56% in 2005.Not only in the oils and fats market, but the status of palm oil in the total agro-exportcommodities has also advanced. Table 2 shows the structural change of the top 10 agroexportcommodities from Asian developing countries. The ranking of palm oil in theAsian agro-export market rose from 20th in the mid 1960s to the top in the mid 2000s,and now it has around a 10% share of the Asian total agro-export value, exceedingnatural rubber, milled rice, tea and other items. It is obvious that palm oil represents anemerging commodity among Asian agro-food exports.What is the background of its rapid growth? First of all, there are some characteristicspeculiar to this commodity. Oil palm has the highest land productivity among oilcrops because it can be produced all year round, and it has comparative advantage oversoybean and other oils in commodity price. Besides price advantage, it is characterized