Safeguarding forests from smallholder oil palm expansion by more intensive production? The case of Ngwei forest (Cameroon)

Folefack, Achille Jean Jaza; Njiki, Marie Gaelle Ngo; Darr, Dietrich

doi:10.1016/j.forpol.2019.01.016

Cited by 17 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 33 publications

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“…Oil palm is native to West and Central Africa and has a long history of cultivation in the region as both a subsistence crop and a cash crop, with smallholder farmers playing an important role in terms of both land use and the production of “artisanal” oil‐palm products (Brønd, 2018). By 2050, edible oil consumption across the region is predicted to triple relative to 2013, with smallholders being the main driver of growth in this sector (Folefack et al, 2019; Ordway et al, 2019). Consequently, a number of countries in the region are proactively seeking strategies for sustainable intensification of their smallholder oil palm sectors, in particular through adoption of “Best Management Practices” (BMPs), including control of other species of native vegetation (large trees growing above the canopy, small trees and saplings potentially forming a dense understorey and herbaceous ground vegetation) that might otherwise compete with palms for light, water or nutrients and impede access for care of palms and harvesting of fruit (Fairhurst & Griffiths, 2014; Proforest, 2019).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Proximity to forest mediates trade‐offs between yields and biodiversity of birds in oil palm smallholdings

et al. 2021

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There is much debate about how best to mitigate the effects of agricultural expansion on biodiversity, especially in the tropics. Recent studies have emphasized that proximity to natural habitats can enhance farmland biodiversity, yet few studies have examined whether or not such proximity mediates local trade-offs between yields and biodiversity, and hence alters conclusions about the ecological benefits of alternative farming strategies. Here we examine yield-biodiversity trade-offs, focusing on birds in oil palm smallholdings at different distances from remaining areas of forest, including a large forest reserve, in Ghana. We found significantly fewer birds on higher-yielding than lower-yielding farms, in terms of both species richness and abundance. For forest specialist birds (likely to be highly vulnerable to conversion of land to agriculture) we also found a greater trade-off (i.e., lower richness and abundance for a given yield) at farms further from forest, to the extent that increasing distance to the nearest forest from 1 to 10 km had a similar effect as a 3-to 5-fold increase in fruit yield brought about by increased intensification. Our study highlights the importance of accounting for the effects of natural forest in the landscape when considering agricultural policies for biodiversity protection, underlining the importance of a landscape-scale approach to conservation.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Proximity to forest mediates trade‐offs between yields and biodiversity of birds in oil palm smallholdings

et al. 2021

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“…The intensification of forest-and agriculture-related economic activities largely explains this change. For example, tropical forested areas are being converted into oil palm plantations to meet economic (biofuel, palm oil), social (food, household products, cosmetics, soap), cultural (traditional medicines and other care products) or scientific needs [4][5][6]. An increase in these needs has led to the development and expansion of agro-industrial oil palm plantations in tropical Asia, Oceania, Africa and Amazonia [7][8][9].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As a result, this variation in storage can have repercussions for the climatic and environmental equilibria in the affected tropical regions [1]. An important challenge is the ability to exploit and develop agricultural areas, such as agro-industrial plantations, without compromising or damaging the ecological integrity of the broader continuous forest (e.g., [5]). Such actions would help to accentuate the trend towards decelerating deforestation rates that has been noted by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) [1].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Estimation of Aboveground Oil Palm Biomass in a Mature Plantation in the Congo Basin

Migolet

Goı̈ta

Ngomanda³

et al. 2020

Forests

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Agro-industrial oil palm plantations are becoming increasingly established in the Congo Basin (West Equatorial Africa) for mainly economic reasons. Knowledge of oil palm capacity to sequester carbon requires biomass estimates. This study implemented local and regional methods for estimating palm biomass in a mature plantation, using destructive sampling. Eighteen 35-year-old oil palms with breast height diameters (DBH) between 48 and 58 cm were felled and sectioned in a plantation located in Makouké, central Gabon. Field and laboratory measurements determined the biomasses of different tree compartments (fruits, leaflets, petioles, rachises, stems). Fruits and leaflets contributed an average of 6% to total aboveground palm biomass, which petioles accounted for 8%, rachises for 13% and the stem, 73%. The best allometric equation for estimating stem biomass was obtained with a composite variable, formulated as DBH2 × stem height, weighted by tissue infra-density. For leaf biomass (fruits + leaflets + petioles + rachises), the equation was of a similar form, but included the leaf number instead of infra-density. The allometric model combining the stem and leaf biomass yielded the best estimates of the total aboveground oil palm biomass (coefficient of determination (r2) = 0.972, p < 0.0001, relative root mean square error (RMSE) = 5%). Yet, the model was difficult to implement in practice, given the limited availability of variables such as the leaf number. The total aboveground biomass could be estimated with comparable results using DBH2 × stem height, weighted by the infra-density (r2 = 0.961, p < 0.0001, relative RMSE (%RMSE) = 5.7%). A simpler model excluding infra-density did not severely compromise results (R2 = 0.939, p < 0.0003, %RMSE = 8.2%). We also examined existing allometric models, established elsewhere in the world, for estimating aboveground oil palm biomass in our study area. These models exhibited performances inferior to the best local allometric equations that were developed.

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“…Within these regulations, the transition from monoculture oil palm plantations into OPAF should be done within a certain target period. However, complementary policies [42] and inclusive governance frameworks [43] are required to reconcile the social, economic, and environmental benefits of OPAF.…”

Section: Learning From the Fieldsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Oil Palm Agroforestry as an Alternative towards Inclusive Oil Palm Production

Susanti¹,

Marhaento²,

Riyanto³

et al. 2021

Elaeis Guineensis [Working Title]

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Oil palm has been widely adopted and cultivated as monoculture plantations in Indonesia. Research suggests that these monoculture practices have led to adverse impacts both on natural and human systems and smallholder farmers have been severely impacted by these unsustainable practices. This chapter aims to analyze how oil palm agroforestry (OPAF) has been adopted by smallholder farmers in the Jambi and Central Kalimantan provinces of Indonesia as part of the social forestry (SF) program to solve the tenure-related conflict in the designated forest areas which are disturbed by monoculture oil palm plantations managed by smallholder farmers. This chapter shows that although oil palm is widely adopted as monoculture plantations for the sake of high yielding, smallholder farmers tend to adopt OPAF to maintain the stability of household incomes amidst the uncertainty of oil palm price in the global market and secure their tenurial access to the designated forest lands. Their perception of OPAF is influenced by their knowledge and determines their decision in adopting OPAF. However, peer pressure and external supports also play important roles in accelerating the adoption of OPAF. More efforts on evidence and knowledge production, communication with stakeholders, and expert backstopping are needed to accelerate the adoption of OPAF.

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Safeguarding forests from smallholder oil palm expansion by more intensive production? The case of Ngwei forest (Cameroon)

Cited by 17 publications

References 33 publications

Proximity to forest mediates trade‐offs between yields and biodiversity of birds in oil palm smallholdings

Proximity to forest mediates trade‐offs between yields and biodiversity of birds in oil palm smallholdings

Estimation of Aboveground Oil Palm Biomass in a Mature Plantation in the Congo Basin

Oil Palm Agroforestry as an Alternative towards Inclusive Oil Palm Production

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