A plantation is a large estate devoted to a single cash crop, usually grown for export. Sugar, cotton, coffee, tea, rubber, cocoa, bananas, oil palm, and tobacco have all been grown this way. The model took shape in the 17th century in the Americas and the Caribbean and later spread to Asia and Africa.

Plantations are capital-intensive and labour-intensive. They require clearing large areas, planting one species, and processing the harvest on site. That combination made them efficient at producing commodities for distant markets, but it also made them deeply tied to colonial economies and, in many cases, to slavery and indentured labour. The social and political legacy still shapes rural life in former plantation regions.

Common plantation crops

• Sugar cane in Brazil, Cuba, and India
• Coffee in Colombia, Vietnam, and Ethiopia
• Rubber in Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia
• Oil palm in Malaysia and Indonesia

Modern plantations face pressure over deforestation, biodiversity loss, and labour conditions. Certification schemes like Rainforest Alliance and RSPO try to set standards, though enforcement varies.