Perceptions by Smallholder Farmers of Forest Plantations in Malaysia

Plantation forests are perceived to be the supplementary source of wood material for the large wood products industry in Malaysia, amidst the steadily reducing supply from her natural forests. Despite the government’s initiated plantation forests scheme, the participation of smallholder farmers has been limited. Smallholder farmers constitute the largest proportion of private farmers involved in all sectors of agricultural and plantation tree crop cultivation, including commodities such as rubber and palm oil. Therefore, this study examines the lack of interest among smallholder farmers to participate in establishing forest plantations, although they have a strong presence in the palm oil and rubber sectors. A structured questionnaire survey was conducted among 12,895 smallholder farmers currently involved in palm oil, rubber and other tree-crop cultivation. The study found that this group has little knowledge and awareness of the forest plantation scheme available, and there is a prevailing perception that the establishment of forest plantations is not environment-friendly and leads to biodiversity loss. The poor economic return, small land holding, and poorly structured market and supply chain are perceived as the significant constraints faced that limit the interest among the target groups to participate in this sector. Any effort to reverse this trend and garner higher interest from the target group will necessarily require a new policy framework that boosts the economic outlook of forest plantations among smallholder farmers.

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Agroforestry, Indigenous Tree Cover and Biodiversity Conservation: A Case Study of Mount Elgon in Uganda

European Journal of Development Research ◽

10.1057/s41287-021-00446-5 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Stephen Graham ◽

Hanna Julia Ihli ◽

Anja Gassner

Keyword(s):

Agricultural Land ◽

Smallholder Farmers ◽

Biodiversity Loss ◽

Sustainable Land Use ◽

Tree Cover ◽

Natural Forests ◽

Coffee Farmers ◽

Multiple Issues ◽

Indigenous Trees ◽

Mount Elgon

AbstractAddressing interconnected social and environmental issues, including poverty, food security, climate change, and biodiversity loss, requires integrated solutions. Agroforestry is a sustainable land use approach with the potential to address multiple issues. This study examined the tree cultivation behavior of smallholder farmers in the Mt. Elgon region of Uganda. We examined the proportion of indigenous tree species added to or removed from agricultural land and the reasons for farmers’ decisions in this regard. We found that farmers overwhelmingly planted exotic species, limiting the possible benefits for the conservation of biodiversity from a suggested re-greening of the region. Indigenous trees were cultivated in low numbers and dominated by a handful of species. Opportunities to help farmers increase the number and variety of indigenous trees on their land were found among smaller-scale coffee farmers and in the protection of natural forests from which indigenous trees propagate into the wider landscape.

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Effect Relationships on Sustainable Development of Palm Oil Production for Independent Smallholder Farmers toward Sustainable Certification System

Journal of Sustainable Development ◽

10.5539/jsd.v10n1p24 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

pp. 24

Author(s):

Nurliza Nurliza ◽

Eva Dolorosa

Keyword(s):

Sustainable Development ◽

Palm Oil ◽

Smallholder Farmers ◽

Oil Production ◽

Global Market ◽

Government Support ◽

Small Farmers ◽

Certification System ◽

Sustainable Products ◽

Sustainability Challenges

Palm oil is currently the most widely used vegetable oil in the world and its usage is also expected to double by 2020. However, there are some social and environmental impacts of palm oil plantation. Some complications resulted from the plantation may go as far as mass objections to the production of palm oil. On the contrary, demand for palm oil is still vast and constantly rising. In Indonesia, independent small farmers are the most important stakeholders since they are 43% of the whole Indonesian palm oil producers and have become the biggest spotlight of Indonesian palm oil development, including challenges and problems in which they will have to face to substantially increase their role in the global market as well as maintaining sustainability. Challenges today need to be engaged with innovation and inventions in a more productive and effective way. Enhancing independent small farmers will not only enlarge their contribution to sustainability practices, but also ensuring the sustainable products supplied to the market. Thus, supporting sustainable palm oil production is the way forward. Based on this current issue, this research identifies key point relationships (direct and indirect) on sustainable development factors which are based on Indonesian Sustainable Palm Oil Certification System (ISPO), these identified key points will be the primary target to be improved and government support in fostering the sustainability of palm oil industry will be profoundly necessary.

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Evaluating differences in forest fragmentation and restoration between western natural forests and southeastern plantation forests in the United States

Journal of Environmental Management ◽

10.1016/j.jenvman.2016.11.068 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 188 ◽

pp. 268-277 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Xinyu Ren ◽

Yingying Lv ◽

Mingshi Li

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Forest Fragmentation ◽

The United States ◽

Natural Forests ◽

Plantation Forests

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Formulasi Nilai Tambah pada Rantai Pasok Minyak Sawit

Jurnal Optimasi Sistem Industri ◽

10.25077/josi.v13.n1.p576-587.2014 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 13 (1) ◽

pp. 576

Author(s):

Syarif Hidayat ◽

Nunung Nurhasanah ◽

Rizki Ayuning Prasongko

Keyword(s):

Supply Chain ◽

Palm Oil ◽

Smallholder Farmers ◽

Value Added ◽

Added Value ◽

Stakeholder Dialogue ◽

Fresh Fruit Bunch ◽

Oil Supply ◽

Fair Distribution ◽

Technology Level

In palm oil supply chain (POSC) the smallholder farmers sell their fresh fruit bunch (FFB) to Palm Oil Mills through traders. Palm Oil Mills convert the FFB into crude palm oil (CPO). CPO is sold to the refinery, who converts CPO into frying oil and sends the product to the distributors. The distributors subsequently sell them to the consumers. Each member of the POSC will try to optimize its added value. The aim of this paper is to develop an added value formulation as a function of risk, investment and technology levels of each of the POSC member. To facilitate fair distribution of rewards a concept of added value utility based on rsk, investment and technology level was introduced. To optimize the added value distribution between the members the concept of stakeholder dialogue was used. The selling prices were negotiated between the actors until each reached a satisfactory value, which was ruled by the levels of optimum added value utility. This research is important because the developed model can facilitate a better formula to calculate the fair distribution of added values, therefore ensure its sustainability and improve the total supply chain added value.Keywords:Utility, Value Added, Palm Oil Supply Chain, Exponential FunctionAbstrakPada suatu rantai pasok agroindustri minyak sawit (RPMS), petani menjual tandan buah segar (TBS) ke pabrik CPO melalui pedagang/pemasok. Pabrik CPO merubah TBS menjadi CPO. CPO dijual ke refinery (pabrik minyak goreng), yang merubah CPO menjadi minyak goreng, dan menjualnya melalui distributor kepada para konsumen. Setiap anggota RPMS akan berusaha untuk mengoptimumkan nilai tambahnya masing-masing. Tujuan penulisan makalah ini adalah menyusun formula perhitungan nilai tambah RPMS yang dipengaruhi oleh tingkat risiko, tingkat investasi dan tingkat teknologi yang terkait dengan masingmasing pelaku rantai pasok. Untuk mengusahakan distribusi yang adil dari imbalan maka digunakan pendekatan stakeholder dialogue. Harga jual dinegosiasikan diantara para pelaku RPMS sampai didapat suatu nilai yang memuaskan semua pihak, yang ditentukan berdasarkan utilitas nilai tambah yang optimum. Penelitian ini penting karena model yang dikembangkan dapat memfasilitasi formula yang lebih baik untuk menghitung distribusi nillia tambah yang adil, sehingga akan dicapai keberlangsungan usaha dan meningkatnya nilai tambah total dari RPMS.Kata kunci: Utilitas, Nilai Tambah, Rantai Pasok Minyak Sawit, Fungsi Eksponensial.

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Hope or hype: A critical assessment of Jatropha curcas for domestic biofuel production in Senegal

10.26686/wgtn.17008384.v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

◽

David Campbell

Keyword(s):

Case Studies ◽

Jatropha Curcas ◽

Energy Supply ◽

Smallholder Farmers ◽

Biofuel Production ◽

Policy Framework ◽

Mixed Method Research ◽

Low Carbon ◽

Plant Feedstock ◽

Electrical Generation

<p>This thesis was designed to critically test the suitability of Jatropha curcas as a plant feedstock for liquid biofuel production in Senegal. Many countries around the globe have attempted to incorporate bioenergy into their broader energy supply mix, and liquid biofuels are a key component of a low-carbon economy to replace fossil fuels for transport and electrical generation. The Senegalese government instituted a national biofuel plan between 2007 and 2012 to achieve energy independence through biofuels with an annual production target of more than a billion liters of oil. The plan was intended to reduce problems with energy scarcity and price fluctuations, contribute to local economic growth, and expand agricultural production to degraded or otherwise fallow land. The project was largely unsuccessful, and to date there has been no significant oil production from Jatropha curcas for the national energy supply. This research study was developed to understand the key barriers to the success of this program and mitigate the mistakes of future project developers and policymakers. Preliminary literature reviews and examples from similar endeavors in other countries suggested three main barriers that would be primary determinants of success or failure: the agronomic suitability, and therefore production and yield capacity, of Jatropha curcas to the Senegalese climate; the socio-economic challenges of integrating a broad national plan with smallholder farmers and assuring that the economics are fair for both growers and buyers; and the policy framework developed by government agencies, development organizations, and commercial interests to support an emergent biofuel industry. A mixed-method research design including document reviews, interviews and surveys, and case studies was employed to answer the key questions of why and how the Senegalese biofuel program has failed to achieve its intended goals. Results from this study indicate that Jatropha curcas is unsuitable as a plant feedstock for liquid biofuels in Senegal at this time, due to significant shortcomings in all three key categories examined. The plant is vastly underproductive and requires considerable investment in scientific improvement of yield, pest tolerance and seed oil content; the economic gain is neither adequate to justify smallholder farmers to adopt it as an alternative to existing crops nor for project developers to generate income from fuel on the open market; and supporting policy has not been consistent or favorable enough to carry this emergent industry from nascence to maturity. There are, however, encouraging signs of resilience in two particular case studies that provide insight into how future programs could be structured, most notably in the Sine-Saloum Delta region. Further research should be devoted to specific economic schemes and innovative financing options for community focused biofuel programs.</p>

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Sustainable Management of Forest Plantations and Natural Forests in Chile

Sustainable Forestry Challenges for Developing Countries - Environmental Science and Technology Library ◽

10.1007/978-94-009-1588-6_14 ◽

1996 ◽

pp. 249-274

Author(s):

Gerardo Mery

Keyword(s):

Sustainable Management ◽

Forest Plantations ◽

Natural Forests

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Study of Poplar and Bamboo based Agroforestry System

Journal of Non Timber Forest Products ◽

10.54207/bsmps2000-2019-b2esxg ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 26 (2) ◽

pp. 67-70

Author(s):

Kapil Joshi ◽

◽

Vrushali Gade ◽

Ashwini Apet ◽

◽

...

Keyword(s):

Integrated Management ◽

Agroforestry System ◽

Environmental Conservation ◽

Wood Products ◽

Population Pressure ◽

Natural Forests ◽

Resource Base ◽

The Sustainable Development ◽

The People ◽

Agro Forestry

Food insecurity and poverty have been affecting the livelihood of the rural poor since ages. It is posing a major challenge to the sustainable development of a developing country like India. In such countries, land and soil degradation has emerged as an offshoot of excessive population pressure over the limited resources. Agricultural production in the developing countries has seldom matched the needs of the people. Agro forestry has the potential to arrest land degradation and improve site productivity through interaction with trees, soil, crops and livestock. Agro forestry is also a potential option for improving rural livelihood and enhancing integrated management of the natural resource base. Agro forestry systems can play an important role in carbon mitigation programmes through carbon sequestration and can reduce the pressure on existing natural forests by providing fuel, fodder, timber and wood products to the farmers. The current interest in agro forestry in India has transformed the land-use system in terms of economic sustainability. This article briefly reviews about the concept of Poplar and Bamboo based agro forestry systems as adopted extensively by the farmers on a commercial and environmental conservation scale. These systems play a significant role to meet the economic, social and environmental concerns of the villagers.

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Influence of Land-Use Type on Forest Bird Community Composition in Mount Kenya Forest

International Journal of Ecology ◽

10.1155/2019/8248270 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 2019 ◽

pp. 1-8 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Samuel N. Mahiga ◽

Paul Webala ◽

Mugo J. Mware ◽

Paul K. Ndang’ang’a

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Species Richness ◽

Bird Community ◽

Natural Forest ◽

Forest Biodiversity ◽

Natural Forests ◽

Plantation Forest ◽

Point Counts ◽

Plantation Forests ◽

Relative Species Richness

Few studies have explored how human land uses influence and support persistence of forest biodiversity in central Kenya. In the case of the Mount Kenya ecosystem, farmlands and plantation forests are significant land-use types. Using point counts, we assessed bird communities in natural forests, plantation forests, and farmlands in the Nanyuki Forest Block, Western Mount Kenya. Bird point counts were undertaken during two sampling periods (wet and dry season). Compared to farmlands and plantation forest, natural forest had the highest overall avian species richness and relative species richness of all except one forest-dependent foraging guild (granivores) and nonforest species, which occurred frequently only on farmlands. Plantation forest had the lowest relative richness of all avian habitat and foraging guilds. Conversely, specialist forest-dependent species mainly occurred in the structurally complex remnant natural forest. Our study underscores the importance of remnant natural forests for the persistence and conservation of forest biodiversity and risks posed by replacing them with plantation forests and farmlands.

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Nested forest nutrient cycles: implications for plantation management

The Forestry Chronicle ◽

10.5558/tfc69694-6 ◽

1993 ◽

Vol 69 (6) ◽

pp. 694-698 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

O. Q. Hendrickson ◽

J. Richardson

Keyword(s):

Forest Management ◽

Litter Production ◽

Forest Plantations ◽

Nutrient Cycles ◽

Natural Forests ◽

Plantation Forest ◽

Atmospheric Processes ◽

Basic Understanding ◽

Internal Storage ◽

Storage Pools

Natural forests may be viewed as containing nested nutrient cycles: an "external" cycle mediated by atmospheric processes, a "soil" cycle of litter production and decay, and one or more "plant" cycles involving retranslocation and internal storage pools. The goal of plantation forest management should be to enhance all of these cycles. Stimulating the "external" cycle by adding fertilizer nutrients is likely to increase "soil" and "plant" cycling rates as well. A basic understanding of how these nested cycles are linked can improve the management of nutrients in forest plantations.

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