scholarly journals Slowing deforestation in Indonesia follows declining oil palm expansion and lower oil prices

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Gaveau ◽  
Bruno Locatelli ◽  
Mohammad Salim ◽  
Husnayaen Husnayaen ◽  
Timer Manurung ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Palm Oil ◽  
Oil Palm ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Oil Prices ◽  
Tropical Deforestation ◽  
Forest Loss ◽  
Forest Conversion ◽  
Old Growth ◽  
Indonesian Government ◽  
Price Decline

Abstract Much concern about tropical deforestation focuses on oil palm plantations, but their impacts remain poorly quantified. Using satellites, we estimated annual expansion of large-scale (industrial) and smallholder oil palm plantations and their overlap with forest loss from 2001 to 2019 in Indonesia, the world’s largest palm oil producer.Over nineteen years, the area under oil palm doubled, reaching 16.24 million hectares (Mha) in 2019 (64% industrial; 36% smallholder), more than official estimates of 14.72 Mha. This expansion was responsible for nearly one-third (2.85 Mha) of Indonesia’s loss of old-growth forests (9.79 Mha). Industrial plantations were associated with three times as much forest conversion as smallholder plantings (2.13 Mha vs 0.72 Mha). New plantations peaked in 2009 and 2012 and declined thereafter. Deforestation peaked in 2016 and fell below pre-2004 levels in 2017-2019. Expansion of industrial plantations and forest loss were correlated with palm oil prices. A price decline of 1% was associated with a 1.08% decrease in new industrial plantations and with a 0.68% decrease of forest loss. This slow-down provides an opportunity for the Indonesian government to focus on details of sustainable oil palm management. If prices rise, effective regulations will remain key to minimising deforestation.

scholarly journals Agroforestry as Policy Option for Forest-Zone Oil Palm Production in Indonesia

Land ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (12) ◽  
pp. 531
Author(s):  
Edi Purwanto ◽  
Hery Santoso ◽  
Idsert Jelsma ◽  
Atiek Widayati ◽  
Hunggul Y. S. H. Nugroho ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Palm Oil ◽  
Oil Palm ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Raw Materials ◽  
Policy Research ◽  
Review Literature ◽  
Forest Conversion ◽  
Policy Options ◽  
Legal Basis ◽  
Forest Zone

With 15–20% of Indonesian oil palms located, without a legal basis and permits, within the forest zone (‘Kawasan hutan’), international concerns regarding deforestation affect the totality of Indonesian palm oil export. ‘Forest zone oil palm’ (FZ-OP) is a substantive issue that requires analysis and policy change. While spatial details of FZ-OP remain contested, we review literature on (1) the legal basis of the forest zone and its conversion, (2) social stratification in oil palm production (large-scale, plasma and independent growers), and (3) environmental consequences of forest conversion to FZ-OP, before discussing policy options in a range of social and ecological contexts. Policy options range from full regularization (as FZ-OP stands could meet international forest definitions), to conditional acceptance of diversified smallholder plantings in ‘agroforestry concessions’, to gradually phasing out FZ-OP and eviction/destruction. A nuanced and differentiated approach to FZ-OP is needed, as certification of legality along supply chains is vulnerable to illegal levies and corruption. Corporate actors trading internationally can avoid use of uncertified raw materials, effectively shifting blame and depressing farmgate prices for domestic-market palm oil, but this will not return forest conditions or stop further forest conversion. We discuss an agenda for follow-up policy research.

scholarly journals Managing fire risk during drought: the influence of certification and El Niño on fire-driven forest conversion for oil palm in Southeast Asia

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 749-771 ◽  
Author(s):  
Praveen Noojipady ◽  
Douglas C. Morton ◽  
Wilfrid Schroeder ◽  
Kimberly M. Carlson ◽  
Chengquan Huang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Palm Oil ◽  
Oil Palm ◽  
El Niño ◽  
El Nino ◽  
Fire Risk ◽  
Forest Loss ◽  
Fire Activity ◽  
El Niño Events ◽  
In Fire ◽  
El Nino Events

Abstract. Indonesia and Malaysia have emerged as leading producers of palm oil in the past several decades, expanding production through the conversion of tropical forests to industrial plantations. Efforts to produce sustainable palm oil, including certification by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), include guidelines designed to reduce the environmental impact of palm oil production. Fire-driven deforestation is prohibited by law in both countries and a stipulation of RSPO certification, yet the degree of environmental compliance is unclear, especially during El Niño events when drought conditions increase fire risk. Here, we used time series of satellite data to estimate the spatial and temporal patterns of fire-driven deforestation on and around oil palm plantations. In Indonesia, fire-driven deforestation accounted for one-quarter of total forest losses on both certified and noncertified plantations. After the first plantations in Indonesia received RSPO certification in 2009, forest loss and fire-driven deforestation declined on certified plantations but did not stop altogether. Oil palm expansion in Malaysia rarely involved fire; only 5 % of forest loss on certified plantations had coincident active fire detections. Interannual variability in fire detections was strongly influenced by El Niño and the timing of certification. Fire activity during the 2002, 2004, and 2006 El Niño events was similar among oil palm plantations in Indonesia that would later become certified, noncertified plantations, and surrounding areas. However, total fire activity was 75 % and 66 % lower on certified plantations than noncertified plantations during the 2009 and 2015 El Niño events, respectively. The decline in fire activity on certified plantations, including during drought periods, highlights the potential for RSPO certification to safeguard carbon stocks in peatlands and remaining forests in accordance with legislation banning fires. However, aligning certification standards with satellite monitoring capabilities will be critical to realize sustainable palm oil production and meet industry commitments to zero deforestation.

scholarly journals Effect of oil palm sustainability certification on deforestation and fire in Indonesia

2017 ◽  
Vol 115 (1) ◽  
pp. 121-126 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kimberly M. Carlson ◽  
Robert Heilmayr ◽  
Holly K. Gibbs ◽  
Praveen Noojipady ◽  
David N. Burns ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Palm Oil ◽  
Oil Palm ◽  
Forest Cover ◽  
Fire Detection ◽  
Tree Cover ◽  
Forest Loss ◽  
Detection Rates ◽  
Active Fire ◽  
Routine Monitoring ◽  
The Impact

Many major corporations and countries have made commitments to purchase or produce only “sustainable” palm oil, a commodity responsible for substantial tropical forest loss. Sustainability certification is the tool most used to fulfill these procurement policies, and around 20% of global palm oil production was certified by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) in 2017. However, the effect of certification on deforestation in oil palm plantations remains unclear. Here, we use a comprehensive dataset of RSPO-certified and noncertified oil palm plantations (∼188,000 km2) in Indonesia, the leading producer of palm oil, as well as annual remotely sensed metrics of tree cover loss and fire occurrence, to evaluate the impact of certification on deforestation and fire from 2001 to 2015. While forest loss and fire continued after RSPO certification, certified palm oil was associated with reduced deforestation. Certification lowered deforestation by 33% from a counterfactual of 9.8 to 6.6% y−1. Nevertheless, most plantations contained little residual forest when they received certification. As a result, by 2015, certified areas held less than 1% of forests remaining within Indonesian oil palm plantations. Moreover, certification had no causal impact on forest loss in peatlands or active fire detection rates. Broader adoption of certification in forested regions, strict requirements to avoid all peat, and routine monitoring of clearly defined forest cover loss in certified and RSPO member-held plantations appear necessary if the RSPO is to yield conservation and climate benefits from reductions in tropical deforestation.

scholarly journals Soil nitrogen oxide fluxes from lowland forests converted smallholder rubber and oil palm plantations in Sumatra, Indonesia

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Evelyn Hassler ◽  
Marife D. Corre ◽  
Syahrul Kurniawan ◽  
Edzo Veldkamp
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Oil Palm ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Fertilizer Application ◽  
Forest Conversion ◽  
Land Uses ◽  
Soil N ◽  
Land Use Conversion ◽  
Rubber Plantations ◽  
No Fluxes

Abstract. Oil palm and rubber plantations cover large areas of former rainforest in Sumatra, Indonesia, supplying the global demand for these crops. Although forest conversion is known to influence soil nitrous oxide (N2O) and nitric oxide (NO) fluxes, measurements from oil palm and rubber plantations are scarce (for N2O) or nonexistent (for NO). Our study aimed to (1) quantify changes in soil-atmosphere fluxes of N oxides with forest conversion to rubber and oil palm plantations, and (2) determine their controlling factors. In Jambi, Sumatra, we selected two landscapes that mainly differed in texture but both on heavily weathered soils: loam and clay Acrisol soils. Within each landscape, we investigated lowland forest, rubber trees interspersed in secondary forest (termed as jungle rubber), both as reference land uses, and smallholder rubber and oil palm plantations, as converted land uses. Each land use had four replicate plots within each landscape. Soil N2O fluxes were measured monthly from December 2012 to December 2013, and soil NO fluxes were measured four times between March and September 2013. In the loam Acrisol landscape, we also conducted weekly to bi-weekly soil N2O flux measurements from July 2014 to July 2015 in a large-scale oil palm plantation with four replicate plots for comparison with smallholder oil palm plantations. Land-use conversion to smallholder plantations had no effect on soil N-oxide fluxes (P = 0.58 to 0.76) due to the generally low soil N availability in the reference land uses that further decreased with land-use conversion. Over one-year measurements, the temporal patterns of soil N-oxide fluxes were influenced by soil mineral N and water contents. Across landscapes, annual soil N2O emissions were controlled by gross nitrification and sand content, which also suggest the influence of soil N and water availability. Soil N2O fluxes (µg N m−2 h−1) were: 7 ± 2 to 14 ± 7 (reference land uses), 6 ± 3 to 9 ± 2 (rubber), 12 ± 3 to 12 ± 6 (smallholder oil palm), and 42 ± 24 (large-scale oil palm). Soil NO fluxes (µg N m−2 h−1) were: −0.6 ± 0.7 to 5.7 ± 5.8 (reference land uses), −1.2 ± 0.5 to −1.0 ± 0.2 (rubber) and −0.2 ± 1.2 to 0.7 ± 0.7 (smallholder oil palm). The low N fertilizer application in smallholder oil palm plantations (commonly 48 to 88 kg N ha−1 yr−1) resulted in N-oxide losses of only 0.2–0.7 % of the applied N. To improve estimate of soil N-oxide fluxes from oil palm plantations in this region, studies should focus on large-scale plantations (which usually have two to four times higher N fertilization rates than smallholders) with frequent measurements following fertilizer application.

scholarly journals Detection of Diseases in Oil Palm Plantations in the Brazilian Amazon through Orbital Image

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 138
Author(s):  
João Almiro Corrêa Soares ◽  
Artur Vinícius Ferreira dos Santos ◽  
Paulo Roberto Silva Farias ◽  
Leidiane Ribeiro Medeiros ◽  
Adriano Anastácio Cardoso Gomes
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Palm Oil ◽  
Oil Palm ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Vegetation Indices ◽  
Brazilian Amazon ◽  
The State ◽  
Excellent Correlation ◽  
New Techniques

The detection of diseases in oil palm crops in the Brazilian Amazon represents a great challenge for the management of this crop in Brazil. The plantations in the State of Pará provide inputs for the food, cosmetics, agro-energy and biofuel industries, supplying Brazilian markets. In recent years, several factors such as pests, diseases and climate have interfered in the development of oil palm in the region, generating the need to adopt new techniques to detect and monitor such issues. In this work, spectral enhancements were carried out by simple reflectance and vegetation indices for four plots cropped on Companhia Palmares da Amazônia (CPA) farm, owned by Agropalma S.A. company in the municipality of Acará, in the state of Pará. The results allowed the identification of expressive patterns minimum and maximum reflectances of the studied plots, correlating with occurrences of diseases. The EVI index showed an excellent correlation with the occurrence of diseases. However, the NDVI and SAVI indexes showed adequate adjustments with the occurrence of diseases in 2017. The areas corresponding to the L36 and H27 plots showed higher occurrences of diseases, based on the analysis of reflectance through vegetation indices. It is concluded that the reflectance enhancements, NDVI, SAVI and EVI obtained by orbital sensors are efficient in the detection of diseases in the plots. The results allowed the identification of diagnostic anomalies of stresses in the plots, either by disease or other factor, allowing the decision making in an adequate time, therefore avoiding large scale eradication in the extensive areas in commercial palm oil plantations in Brazil.

scholarly journals Renewable Energy for Environmental Protection: Life Cycle Inventory of Nigeria’s Palm Oil Production

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kelechi E Anyaoha ◽  
Lulu Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Palm Oil ◽  
Oil Palm ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Palm Kernel ◽  
Fresh Fruit Bunch ◽  
Technology Advancement ◽  
Oil Palm Industry

Energy consumption and associated greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions will increase significantly in the developing world. Scaling up bioenergy use and reducing GHG emissions is vital to achieving the Nationally Determined Contributions and advance the greener economy. This study explored the life cycle inventories of Nigeria’s palm oil processors towards supporting technology advancement and renewable energy transition in the African oil palm industry. We compiled a gate-to-gate life cycle inventory of large-scale, semi-mechanized, and smallholder processors of oil palm fresh fruit bunch in Nigeria. The inventory includes materials and energy inputs to the system and outputs and emissions to the environment. The inputs are diesel, water, electricity, empty fruit bunch, palm kernel shell and mesocarp fibre for a functional unit of 1 tonne of fresh fruit bunch while the outputs include crude palm oil, palm kernel, and all emissions to air and soil. Carbon dioxide (CO2) and dinitrogen oxide (N2O) emissions were 47% and 73% more in the smallholder mills than in the large-scale mills, respectively. The semi-mechanized mills produced 73% more N2O than the large-scale mills. In contrast, large-scale mills emit 71% more methane (CH4) than smallholder and semi-mechanized mills. The study reveals critical hot spots of GHG emissions in Nigeria’s oil palm industry, including CO2, N2O, and CH4 from the smallholder, semi-mechanized, and large-scale processors, respectively. These findings will contribute to supporting policymaking, technology advancement, and promoting the use of bioenergy within and outside the industry as an essential strategy for mitigating climate change.

scholarly journals INDONESIA GOVERNMENT'S EFFORT TO FACE EU DIRECTIVE REGULATION CONCERNING PALM OIL IN EUROPE

2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 262-284
Author(s):  
Dini Tiara Sasmi
Keyword(s):  
Palm Oil ◽  
Oil Palm ◽  
Oil Industry ◽  
Environmental Damage ◽  
Analysis Method ◽  
Indonesian Government ◽  
Eu Directive ◽  
Oil Exports ◽  
Negative Reputation ◽  
The Eu

This article describes Indonesian Government effort dealing with new regulation in European Union, namely EU Directive which prohibit palm oil use for biodiesel. The European Commission has concluded in a regulation that palm oil use in biofuels will be reduced to zero by 2030. This regulation is based on allegations against oil palm plantation that causes excessive environmental damage. Environmental issues that arise as a result of the growing awareness of the international community in preserving the earth are often contrary to the wishes of a country in developing its economy. Campaigns from environmental activists in Indonesia highlight a lot about the palm oil industry which is often considered not sustainable and causes environmental damage. On the other hand, this campaign caused a negative reputation followed by the decline of Indonesia's palm oil exports to Europe. One of the regulations that arose was the EU Directive which was considered by the Indonesian government as discrimination against oil palm products and their derivatives. This article uses a qualitative analysis method. This study aims to analyze how the Indonesian government responds to the EU Directive regulation on Palm Oil which is considered detrimental to Indonesia's palm oil exports to Europe.

scholarly journals FARMER PERCEPTION TO ISPO IN OIL PALM PLANTATION IN WEST JAVA

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 49
Author(s):  
Ernah Ernah ◽  
Apong Sandrawati ◽  
Melania Fadillah ◽  
Dewi Rengganis ◽  
Sudarjat Sudarjat
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Research ◽  
Palm Oil ◽  
Oil Palm ◽  
World Market ◽  
Market Demand ◽  
West Java ◽  
Indonesian Government ◽  
Oil Palm Plantation ◽  
Environmental Friendly ◽  
The World

Palm oil is one of the leading commodities in the world market that contributes to the Indonesian economy. In fulfilling market demand but environmental friendly, the Indonesian government issued a policy of sustainable standards known as the Indonesian Sustainable Palm Oil (ISPO) principle. This study aims to determine the farmers' perception of ISPO in the community of oil palm farmers in West Java. This study designed as qualitative research. The results show that not all standards were sustainable. ISO has been applied to oil palm plantations in West Java. For this reason, government efforts were needed to assist farmers in implementing the ISPO.

Renewable Energy for Environmental Protection: Comparative Life Cycle Assessment of different Palm Oil Mills in Nigeria

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kelechi E Anyaoha ◽  
Lulu Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Environmental Impacts ◽  
Palm Oil ◽  
Oil Palm ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Palm Kernel ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Oil Palm Industry

Oil palm is expected to continue its dominance of global oil production, trade, and consumption. Nigeria will continue to play a dominate role in oil palm industry particularly on production and consumption. One of the biggest challenges to agricultural productivities is the need to reduce the environmental impacts and improves circularity in the operations. This study investigated the environmental impacts of different palm oil processors in Nigeria using life cycle assessment approach. The study covers the reception and processing of fresh fruit bunch (FFB) to palm oil. The inputs include generated empty fruit bunch, mesocarp fibre, palm kernel shell, palm oil mill effluent, diesel, and water and all outputs to the environment for a functional unit of 1 tonne of FFB. The large-scale processor performs worse than the semi-mechanised and smallholder processors in terms of climate change with 468 kg CO2-eq per tonne of FFB and better in the other impact categories. In large-scale mill, the contribution to climate change was reduced by 75% when the raw POME was used in composting EFB. Similarly, the contribution to climate change was decreased by 44% when biogas from POME substituted diesel in the semi-mechanised and smallholder mills. Concerted efforts by regulators are needed to ensure that stakeholders take steps towards improving management practices in the industry. Particularly on the generation and reuse of biomass and POME. This study will be very useful particularly on the contributions to climate change by Nigeria’s oil palm industry and other parts of sub-Saharan Africa.

scholarly journals The Agrarian, Structural and Cultural Constraints of Smallholders’ Readiness for Sustainability Standards Implementation: The Case of Indonesian Sustainable Palm Oil in East Kalimantan

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 2611
Author(s):  
Arya Hadi Dharmawan ◽  
Dyah Ita Mardiyaningsih ◽  
Faris Rahmadian ◽  
Bayu Eka Yulian ◽  
Heru Komarudin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Palm Oil ◽  
Oil Palm ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Case Study Research ◽  
Biodiversity Loss ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Oil Palm Plantation ◽  
East Kalimantan ◽  
The Government ◽  
Sustainability Standards

The expansion of oil palm plantation has caused adverse impacts on the ecosystem. It has been associated with deforestation, biodiversity loss, disturbances to environmental services and livelihood change. The government of Indonesia has made an effort to control the negative effects by issuing relevant policies. One of the policies is Indonesian Sustainable Palm Oil (ISPO)’s sustainability standards to which large-scale plantations and smallholders are obliged to adhere. This study assesses the readiness of two types of smallholders, namely, the nucleus–plasma scheme and independent smallholders to adopt ISPO standards. Using a case study research approach in two oil palm plantation villages in East Kalimantan, the study found out a number of ISPO implementation challenges, grouped into structural and socio-cultural challenges, which make smallholders less ready to adhere to this mandatory policy. Coping with these challenges, this study proposed that land and business legality programs be expedited to strengthen property rights, and that training and education programs be intensified to enhance awareness, knowledge and capacity of smallholders to enable them to comply with sustainability standards.

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