Oil Palm and Deforestation in Papua New Guinea

Abstract

An unprecedented increase in oil palm developments may be underway in Papua New Guinea (PNG) through controversial "special agricultural and business leases" (SABLs) covering over two million hectares. Oil palm development can create societal benefits, but doubt has been raised about whether the SABL developers intend establishing plantations. Here, we examine the development objectives of these proposals through an assessment of their land suitability, developer experience and capacity, and sociolegal constraints. Our review reveals 36 oil palm proposals with plantings planned for 948,000 ha, a sevenfold increase over the existing planted area in PNG. Based on our criteria, however, we estimate that only five plantations covering 181,700 ha might eventuate within the foreseeable future. We conclude that most of the developers are clearing forest with no intention of cultivating oil palm, and that a large-scale land grab is therefore occurring in PNG under the guise of oil palm development.

Oil palm boom and land-use dynamics in Indonesia: The role of policies and socioeconomic factors

“…In other words, villagers in Jambi do not clear forest with the immediate intention to use the land for oil palm. This is in line with a study in Papua New Guinea, where Nelson et al (2013) concluded that deforestation takes place without an explicit intention to grow oil palm in the future. On the other hand, the results in column (3) show that oil palm cultivation and fallow land in the past both contributed to declining forest land at the village level.…”

Oil Palm Development and Large-Scale Land Acquisitions in Papua New Guinea

“…Most of the plantations operated by the existing two palm oil-producing companies are on land alienated during the time of the Australian administration, although they also operate some 'mini-estates' on land subleased from groups of customary landowners holding SABLs (see Chapter 6, this volume). The two oil palm companies started making use of these lease arrangements in the late 1990s, but the amount of land they acquired through this process is only a tiny fraction of the area of more than 5 million hectares allocated to other companies under SABLs issued since 2003 (Filer 2011(Filer , 2012aMoore 2011;Winn 2012;Nelson et al 2014). Most of this land has been subleased to foreign investors, which has caused an outpouring of frustration and anger among rural people in many parts of the country about the loss of rights to their land and resources (Mirou 2013;Mousseau 2013;Numapo 2013).…”

“…While the main justification for the scale of alienation was the establishment of large-scale commercial agricultural ventures, it is now clear that many of the development agreements were being used as a pretext for logging, with many developers having no experience or interest in establishing the agricultural industries promised in the agreements (Nelson et al 2010(Nelson et al , 2014Filer 2011;Winn 2012). Developer applies to PNG Forest Authority (PNGFA) for forest clearing authority (FCA) .…”

Kastom, property and ideology

“…Most of the plantations operated by the existing two palm oil-producing companies are on land alienated during the time of the Australian administration, although they also operate some 'mini-estates' on land subleased from groups of customary landowners holding SABLs (see Chapter 6, this volume). The two oil palm companies started making use of these lease arrangements in the late 1990s, but the amount of land they acquired through this process is only a tiny fraction of the area of more than 5 million hectares allocated to other companies under SABLs issued since 2003 (Filer , 2012aMoore 2011;Nelson et al 2014). Most of this land has been subleased to foreign investors, which has caused an outpouring of frustration and anger among rural people in many parts of the country about the loss of rights to their land and resources Numapo 2013).…”

“…While the main justification for the scale of alienation was the establishment of large-scale commercial agricultural ventures, it is now clear that many of the development agreements were being used as a pretext for logging, with many developers having no experience or interest in establishing the agricultural industries promised in the agreements (Nelson et al 2010(Nelson et al , 2014). Developer applies to PNG Forest Authority (PNGFA) for forest clearing authority (FCA) .…”