By 2050, the global population will approach 10 billion, placing immense pressure on agriculture to ensure food security amidst stagnant yields, land scarcity and extreme weather events. Enhancing crop improvement for higher productivity per hectare is crucial. Epigenetics, the study of heritable gene expression changes without DNA alteration, presents a promising avenue for crop adaptation and resilience. Plants employ epigenetic modifications to respond to environmental shifts, offering flexibility due to their reversible nature. This review aims to explore the role of epigenetics in oil palm breeding, drawing from insights obtained from other plants with a focus on the heritability and stability of epigenetic modifications, as well as priming strategies to enhance resilience by altering the epigenome. We also highlight key advancements in oil palm epigenetics studies, including the discovery of the Karma transposable element and its use in the SureSawit™ KARMA assay to possibly identify plants prone to mantling. Additionally, we discuss the potential of EWAS for marker discovery, integration of CRISPR/dCas9-based epigenome editing for targeted modifications and priming strategies to enhance oil palm resilience. The importance of field-based validation of epigenetic markers and priming approaches is emphasised. These advancements may help promote sustainable agriculture in a changing world.