Abstract
Palm sago is an efficient source of dietary energy in the otherwise marginal subsistence environment of the Purari delta. This report of sago subsistence and palm management of the Baroi in the context of nutritional and population ecology suggests that the reduction in the number of cultivars and increased palm density which has taken place as part of intensification of sago cultivation since 1947 has not resulted in improved nutritional status. The lack of change in the frequency of consumption of palm sago between 1947 and 1980, together with an increase in population size suggests increased overall production of this staple. However, it is not clear whether a ceiling to sago starch production has been reached. Increased population size has been largely attributed to reduced young child mortality as a consequence of health care provision, rather than dietary change. This study supports that view.
