Why Is the Peanut Plant Important to the Economy?

During the 1700s, peanuts were used mainly as pig food.

Four varieties of peanut plants are grown in the United States: Spanish, Virginia, Valencia and Runner. Peanuts, which belong to the legume plant family, make up two-thirds of all the snack nuts consumed annually in the U.S., according to the National Peanut Board.

History

Also called groundnuts, peanuts are native to South America and were grown in American gardens until the late 1800s. Today, 42 million acres worldwide are devoted to peanut production, with peanuts coming in third behind soybeans and cotton as a top seed-oil-producing crop, making the peanut plant a major player in the U.S. agricultural economy, according to the Georgia Country website.

Benefits

All parts of a peanut plant can be used. In the U.S., peanuts are mainly consumed as shelled nuts or peanut butter. Peanuts contain about 25 percent digestible protein and have an oil content of roughly 52 percent. A pound of peanuts supplies the same energy value as 2 pounds of beef, 9 pints of milk or 36 medium-size eggs, states the University of Wisconsin Extension website.

Uses

Peanuts also play a role in the manufacture of many non-food items, such as lubricants, medicines, soaps and cosmetics. Leafy peanut vines provide high-protein feed for livestock, while the shells are used to make fireplace logs, mulch, particle board and fertilizer. Of the 300 products derived from peanuts, most are the result of research conducted by George Washington Carver during the early 1900s.

References

• University of Wisconsin Extension: Peanut; D.H. Putnam, et al.
• Georgia Country: Peanuts
• National Peanut Board: Peanuts
• Encyclopedia Britannica: Peanut Plant