Palm oil intensification and expansion in Indonesia and Malaysia: Environmental and socio-political factors influencing policy

On yield gaps and better management practices in Indonesian smallholder oil palm plantations

“…But it was not until after World War II that the expansion of oil palm in Southeast Asia really took off (Figure 1.2). In 2008 Indonesia achieved its long-desired goal of surpassing Malaysia again as the world's largest producer (McCarthy, 2010;Varkkey et al, 2018). In the 21 st century palm oil has become ubiquitous.…”

“…Further processing of CPO and PKO is done in refineries, to create a range of palm oil products that can be used for many different purposes, particularly food, cooking oil, soaps and biofuels. The increased demand for palm oil has mostly been met through expansion (Varkkey et al, 2018), which has led to tropical deforestation and loss of biodiversity (Koh and Wilcove, 2008;Carlson et al, 2012;Stibig et al, 2014;Figure 1.5) and to large greenhouse gas emissions from drained peat soils (Murdiyarso et al, 2010). In 2015, oil palm expansion was the third largest driver of deforestation in Indonesia, after pulp-and-paper and logging (Abood et al, 2015).…”

“…Or, if production efficiency increases, the price of palm oil may go down and the demand and production may increase; this is known as the Jevons paradox (Alcott, 2005). For intensification to contribute to reduced deforestation, it needs to go hand in hand with the successful implementation of policies that regulate environmental protection and target expansion to degraded areas in order to have a direct, positive impact on nature conservation (Angelsen and Kaimowitz, 2001;Lambin et al, 2001;Byerlee et al, 2017;Varkkey et al, 2018). Norman Borlaug said: 'There are no miracles in agricultural production'.…”

Deconstructing the Palm Oil Industry Narrative in Indonesia: Evidence from Riau Province

“…29 Indonesia's comparative advantages are favourable climatic and soil conditions for agricultural growth, as well as surpluses of cheap labour and land that drive expansionist policies. 30 Without denying these advantages, one can juxtapose the expansionist, pro-growth developmental discourses related to palm oil production with established legal principles such as the public trust doctrine. According to Mary Wood, the public trust doctrine requires governments to act as natural resource trustees, guarding and managing crucial natural assets in ways that best serve the public interest and ensure society's longevity, which includes breathable air, potable water and biodiversity.…”

Hybrid Approach for Optimisation and Analysis of Palm Oil Mill

“…FFBs are then can be converted into a variety of products including foods, cosmetics, detergents and biofuels. To date, approximately 85% of global crude palm oil (CPO) is produced in Indonesia and Malaysia [3]. CPO is extracted from FFBs in processing facilities known as palm oil mills (POM).…”