Oil Palm Plantations Research Articles

Origin of land status and the history of land use of large oil palm plantations in South Sumatra Province (a case study in the plantation of PT TPR and PT RAJ)

Origin of land status and the history of land use of large oil palm plantations in South Sumatra Province (a case study in the plantation of PT TPR and PT RAJ)

Tracing the history of land status and land use in two private oil palm plantation in South Sumatra Province, Indonesia

Tracing the history of land status and land use in two private oil palm plantation in South Sumatra Province, Indonesia

PT. PMI oil palm plantations origin and land status history in Riau Province

PT. PMI oil palm plantations origin and land status history in Riau Province

History of Origin Status and Land Use of Oil Palm Plantations in West Kalimantan Province

History of Origin Status and Land Use of Oil Palm Plantations in West Kalimantan Province

Law study of palm oil plantation land in Indonesia

Law study of palm oil plantation land in Indonesia

The Dual Role of Women in Employment in the Sinah Kasih Village Oil Palm Plantation

Indonesia is the countries with the largest palm oil producer in the world. Oil palm plants are one of the plantation crops that produce vegetable oil, which has become Indonesia's main and superior agricultural commodity. In the division of labor on plantations, there is still an imbalance between men and women. Women spend a lot of time in the garden and have to divide their time into housework. The dual roles experienced by women are very influential in the division of labor. This study presents the division of labor according to Harvard's division of labor. Women also work like men in oil palm plantations and women also play the role of housewives who take care of their husbands, children, and home. Meanwhile, men only work in industry, do not want to contribute to taking care of children and other household work, women do not get the same salary as men.

The Determinant Factor of Employee Engagement at Palm Oil Plantations Company in Central Kalimantan Province

With today's tougher business competition, many companies have realized how important human resources (HR) are. Organizational culture, knowledge management, and employee engagement are the keys to the success of human resources. This study aims to see the influence of organizational culture, knowledge management on employee engagement. This type of research uses mixed methods. Mixed Methods is a research method that combines quantitative research and qualitative research. In this research method using a sequential explanatory combination, starting with using quantitative methods and then expanding with qualitative and comparing the average results of both. In this study using a linearity test which is used to identify the regression model of the independent variable on the dependent variable, the study focused on a population of 1960 companies and 321 employees from the Palm Oil Company Group. The sample size consisted of 179 employees. The findings of the study are: 1) Organizational culture positively impacts employee engagement in Palm Oil Companies in Central Kalimantan Province, and 2) Knowledge management also has a positive effect on employee engagement in Palm Oil Companies in Central Kalimantan Province.

Guardians of the Green: Exploring the Forest Management Wisdom of Dayak Benawan Women in West Kalimantan, Indonesia

This research delves into the ramifications of oil palm expansion on the forest stewardship methods of the Dayak Benawan community in Cowet Village, West Kalimantan, Indonesia. It particularly sheds light on the adaptive strategies of indigenous women in response to diminishing forestlands. By intersecting traditional wisdom with evolving environmental realities and economic challenges, this study offers a comprehensive perspective. Employing ethnographic methodology, the research involved conducting interviews with Dayak Benawan women, providing rich, qualitative insights.Our findings unveil a profound shift in both livelihoods and cultural practices as a direct consequence of oil palm plantation encroachment. Notably, the study quantifies the impact, revealing an 18% loss of forest area in the Sanggau Regency attributable to oil palm plantation expansion. This expansion exerts a discernible negative influence, compelling the Dayak Benawan community to undergo significant livelihood transformations. This study not only highlights the environmental and socio-cultural costs of agricultural industrialization but also stresses the resilience and adaptability of indigenous communities in the face of ecological disruption.

Resolving Conflicts between Corporate Cultivation Rights and Indigenous Community Property Rights: A Study of Abandoned Land in Indonesian Palm Oil Plantations

We discovered a blank point in the study of palm oil conflicts in Indonesia, namely abandoned land. This is critical in determining the ontology of the conflicts that frequently occur between palm oil firms and communities surrounding plantation areas, conflicts that are generated by land rights. We conducted research in the Bengkayang district. Observations, desk studies, and in-depth interviews that we conducted revealed that there were four main factors causing land to be indicated as abandoned in the area of palm oil companies' cultivation rights (HGU). First, inconsistencies and uncertainties in HGU determination procedures, for example, produce challenges and tensions with indigenous groups. Second, data fabrication practices by related parties, including local governments, result in inaccurate information. Third, the lack of formal legal rights over customary land makes maintaining land ownership claims difficult for groups. Fourth, unequal acknowledgment of traditional regions' sovereignty leads to inequity in natural resource management. The phenomenon of abandoned land in this study occurs due to the duality of property rights, which reduces land productivity. The ontological implications of this research concern land development and management, regulatory simplification in maintaining customary land rights, and contemplation of overlapping land rights. This research increases understanding of the dynamics of development and management of abandoned land.

Correlation of Plantation Area and Palm Oil Production in Sumatra and Kalimantan Regions

This study aims to analyze the correlation between the area of oil palm plantations and oil palm production in Indonesia, especially in the Sumatra and Kalimantan regions which are the centers of oil palm plantation distribution. Data collection using secondary data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS), this study aims to determine the relationship between the increase in land area and oil palm plantation production over the past 10 years. This study uses a quantitative method with a correlative approach. Data analysis was carried out using a bivariate correlation Pearson correlation test to determine the positive relationship between plantation area and oil palm production. The results of the analysis showed a significant positive relationship between the land area variable and oil palm production in both the Sumatra and Kalimantan regions, this is indicated by a positive number and a strong correlation of 0.852 for the Sumatra region and very strong, namely 0.996 for the Kalimantan region. In addition, the results of the interpretation of the correlation by looking at Sig. (2-tailed) also show that between the land area variable and production there is a significant correlation, namely 0.002 for the Sumatra region and a value of 0.000 for the Kalimantan region. Although the correlation between land area and production shows a positive value and has a very strong correlation, there are still other factors such as technology, climate, and management practices that also play a role in influencing palm oil production results.

Higuchi fractal dimension and deep learning on near-infrared spectroscopy for determination of free fatty acid (FFA) content in oil palm fruit

Free fatty acid (FFA) content is an essential parameter with a significant influence on the quality of oil palm, with lower levels showing higher quality. The measurement of this parameter is often carried out with conventional methods in chemical laboratories using solvents and reagents, but these techniques have several limitations. Therefore, this study aimed to develop a rapid and non-destructive technique for determining FFA content based on near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy. This technique comprised the use of Higuchi fractal dimension (HFD) and deep learning to process NIR spectra as a new chemometric analysis. The sample population consisted of 350 oil palm fruits at various maturity ages collected from the Cikabayan Oil Palm Plantation. Each sample had its NIR spectrum acquired with a wavelength of 1000–1500 nm. Good performance was shown by a low root mean squared error (RMSE) value and a high coefficient of determination (R2). Based on numerical analysis, this study proposed HFD with a maximum discrete time interval (kmax) value of 10 and deep learning with long short-term memory (LSTM) as a robust architectural model. The results showed that the proposed technique could predict oil palm fruit FFA levels with RMSE and R2 values of 0.167 and 0.959, respectively. Furthermore, it could identify FFA content at each process step, before and after harvesting. Based on these results, its implementation in oil palm control management was expected to enhance effectiveness and efficiency, leading to the production of high-quality products.

Perbandingan Algoritma CART dan C.4 5 Pada Citra Tandan Buah Sawit Untuk Mengetahui Tingkat Kematangan Dalam Penentuan Harga

Information technology is a means and infrastructure of a system method to organize, send, interpret, use, process, obtain, and store data in a meaningful and useful way. Oil palm is a tropical plant originating from West Africa. The advantage of this plant is that it can also be planted outside its place of origin, including Indonesia. This plant has been widely cultivated in the form of plantations and factories in various regions in Indonesia. Oil palm is an industrial plant that is used as a raw material for vegetable oil, industrial oil, and fuel. Oil palm is important for Indonesia because it creates jobs for local people and is a source of foreign currency for the country. Oil palm plants begin to flower and form fruit after 2-3 years. The fruit will ripen about 5-6 months after pollination. The ripening process of oil palm fruit can be seen from the change in color of the fruit's skin. The fruit will turn orange-red when ripe. When the fruit is ripe, the oil content in the fruit flesh is at its maximum. If it is too ripe, the oil palm fruit will fall from the stalk of the bunch. This study aims to assess the maturity of a bunch of oil palm fruit. The methods used in this study are CART and C.4 5. Each method has several stages that will produce entropy and gain values ​​that will later form a decision tree. The dataset consists of 37 data consisting of 10 criteria originating from Ramp 789 Batang Peranap. Based on the implementation of the C4.5 algorithm and the CART algorithm in determining the level of ripeness of oil palm fruit bunches on RAMP 789 Batang Peranap which produces an accuracy of 98.00%. These results are obtained based on Process data with testing using the RapidMiner application, which produces a Decision tree that is useful as a reference for decisions in determining whether or not oil palm fruit bunches are ripe, which so far have only been predicted.

Effect of Land Cover Variations on the Fertility Status of Soils of Umuhu in Ngor-Okpala Area of Imo State

The study was conducted to ascertain the effect of four different land covers (cassava cultivated field (CCF), oil palm plantation (OPP), plantain plantation (PP) and forest land (FL)) on the fertility status of soils of Umuhu in Ngor-Okpala area of Imo State, Nigeria. Random sampling technique was used in the collection of soil samples from the four different land covers. The sampling was done at the beginning, middle and end of each land cover. Twelve (12) composite samples were collected from all the land cover types with 3 per land cover. The composite samples were prepared for routine laboratory analyses. Data generated were analyzed statistically using analysis of variance. The textural classes of all the sampled soils were of loamy sand. The soil which had plantain plantation as its cover had the highest pH (6.4), Total N (0.229 %), Soil organic matter 4.70%, Available P (27.05 mg kg-1), Exch. Ca (6.492 cmolc kg-1), Exch. Mg (3.942 cmolc kg-1), Exch. K (0.953 cmolc kg-1), Exch. Na (0.06 cmolc kg-1), Exch. H (1.2 cmolc kg-1) and CEC (28.4 cmolc kg-1) with its Exch. Al in trace amount (<0.001 cmolc kg-1). The soil under CCF, despite being under low cover, did not show much degeneration due to the shifting cultivation being practiced in the study location. However, the result obtained from the study indicated that the different land covers especially that under plantain plantation (PP) have affected the soils fertility at different rates. This observed factor is strongly controlled by high content of organic materials, a dense vegetative cover which mitigates erosion effects and the addition of ash as a means of fertilizing the soils under plantain plantation being practiced in the study area.

Coevolutionary dynamics in tropical peat ecosystems: A case study of Sumatra peatlands biosphere reserve

Tropical peat swamp is an essential ecosystem experiencing increased degradation over the past few decades. Therefore, this study used the social-ecological system (SES) perspective to explain the complex relationship between humans and nature in the Sumatran Peatlands Biosphere Reserve. The peat swamp forest has experienced a significant decline, followed by a significant increase in oil palm and forest plantations in areas designated for peat protection. Human systems have evolved to become complex and hierarchical, constituting individuals, groups, organizations, and institutions. Studies on SES conducted in the tropical peatlands of Asia have yet to address the co-evolutionary processes occurring in this region, which could illustrate the dynamic relationship between humans and nature. This study highlights the co-evolutionary processes occurring in the tropical peatland biosphere reserve and provides insights into their sustainability trajectory. Moreover, the coevolution process shows that biosphere reserve is shifting toward an unsustainable path. This is indicated by ongoing degradation in three zones and a lack of a comprehensive framework for landscape-scale water management. Implementing landscape-scale water management is essential to sustain the capacity of peatlands social-ecological systems facing disturbances, and it is important to maintain biodiversity. In addition, exploring alternative development pathways can help alter these trajectories toward sustainability.

The Impact of Agriculture on the Consumption of Natural Resources (An analytical study)

This research delves into the multifaceted relationship between agriculture and the consumption of natural resources, highlighting the significant impact of agricultural practices on natural resource depletion. Various studies have explored this dynamic, revealing how technological advancements, government policies, and market access in developed countries have contributed to the increased consumption of natural resources in agriculture. The expansion of palm oil plantations in Indonesia, for instance, has raised concerns about land scarcity and environmental degradation due to soil compaction and water retention issues. Conversely, research in the U.S. suggests that the availability of natural resources, except in cases of major energy supply interruptions, does not significantly constrain agricultural output. The study also examines the role of energy consumption in agriculture, with findings indicating that an increase in gas consumption boosts GDP, whereas higher electricity consumption may hinder growth. Additionally, the research addresses the effects of natural disasters on agriculture, food security, and natural resources, with typhoons notably impacting rice production and household food security in the Philippines. Through a critical and analytical lens, this paper aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of how agricultural practices influence the depletion of natural resources and explore potential strategies for mitigating these effects. Given the study's outcomes, several policy recommendations emerge as follow: Governments should create incentives for the adoption of renewable energy technologies in agriculture to reduce reliance on non-renewable resources, There is a need for comprehensive water management policies that ensure more sustainable water use in agriculture.

Assessing sediment CO2 effluxes in the coastal ecosystem of North Sumatra, Indonesia

Coastal wetlands including mangrove play a vital role in regulating the local and global carbon cycle. Coastal areas contribute greatly to the carbon exchange process due to the complex interactions that occur between the atmosphere, land, and oceans. One of the important components in coastal carbon dynamics is CO2 gas exchange between soil, water and the atmosphere. This study aims to assess CO2 efflux across various land covers (namely natural mangrove, restored mangrove, and converted mangroves to oil palm and aquaculture pond) in the coastal areas of North Sumatra Province, and analyze the effect of sea tides and ebbs on the rate of CO2 efflux and their connection with the number and area of macrozoobenthos burrows. We applied direct sampling by using the static closed chamber method attached to portable CO2 analyzer. The mean of CO2 efflux in natural mangrove forest land covers was 866±585 mgCO2/m2/h during low tide conditions and 1137±792 mgCO2/m2/h during high tide conditions, followed by oil palm plantations at 760.71±341 mgCO2/m2/h, restored mangroves during low tide of 575.24±326 mgCO2/m2/h and 597.11±180 mg CO2/m2/h during high tide conditions, and the lowest was recorded in ponds at 588.55±358 mgCO2/m2/h. Further, we observed that tidal conditions affect the magnitudes of CO2 efflux in natural and restored mangrove forests, and we did not observe similar pattern in oil palms and ponds since these land covers were not influenced by regular tidal input. We also observed that no significant relationship between the number and area of macrozoobenthos burrows and CO2 efflux. Our findings suggest that CO2 effluxes in coastal wetlands are highly dynamic and presumably driven by complex factors and therefore, understanding their magnitudes and drivers requires extensive measurement covering large spatial and temporal scales.

Covering the land with oil palm: revelation, value, and landownership among the Kairak‐speaking Baining of Papua New Guinea

AbstractThis article explores how a displaced Papua New Guinean people decided to lease their customary land for oil palm plantation farming to restore their land use rights and resolve ongoing disputes with migrant settlers. By transforming the landscape into a territorialized space as a plantation, Kairak‐speaking Baining hoped to gain actual landownership status and control over their land, which in turn, they believed, could bring them the development they had long dreamed of. I argue that Kairak conceptions about the plantation as a tool to reveal their landownership and remove the settlers drew on Melanesian notions about covering and revelation, changing perceptions of value, and discourse around ‘settlerhood’ and ‘nativism’, and show how agribusiness capital expansion strategies leverage regional politics of identity and autochthony. By illustrating how the plantation expansion unfolded differently in this region, the material offers new insights on the Plantationocene, global land grabs, dispossession and migration, and reaffirms the consequences reported elsewhere in the world where enclosures of exclusion lead to forceful rearrangements of people's social and economic lives, leaving their hopes and plantation promises unrealized.

People, Palms, and Productivity: Testing Better Management Practices in Indonesian Smallholder Oil Palm Plantations

More than 40% of the total oil palm area in Indonesia is owned and managed by smallholders. For large plantations, guidelines are available on so-called ‘best management practices’, which should give superior yields at acceptable costs when followed carefully. We tested a subset of such practices in a sample of smallholder plantations, aiming to increase yields and profitability. We implemented improved practices (weeding, pruning, harvesting, and fertiliser application) in 14 smallholder plantations of 13–15 years after planting in Jambi province (Sumatra) and in West-Kalimantan province (Kalimantan) for a duration of 3 to 3.5 years. During this period, we recorded yields, measured palm leaf parameters and analysed leaf nutrient contents. Yield recording then continued for an additional two years. In the treatment plots, the yields did not increase significantly, but the size of the bunches and the size of the palm leaves increased significantly and substantially. The tissue nutrient concentrations also increased significantly, although after three years, the potassium concentrations in the rachis were still below the critical value. Because of the absence of yield increase and the additional costs for fertiliser inputs, the net profit of implementing better management practices was negative, and ‘business as usual’ was justified financially. Some practices, such as harvesting at 10-day intervals and the weeding of circles and paths, were received positively by those farmers who could implement them autonomously, and were applied beyond the experiment. It is challenging to find and implement intensification options that are both sustainable and profitable, that have a substantial impact on yield, and that fit in the smallholders’ realities. On-farm experimentation and data collection are essential for achieving sustainable intensification in smallholder oil palm plantations.

Strategies for Improving Irrigation Systems Based on Lamasba Regulation: A 2024 Field Study in Hoba Farms, Southeastern Algeria

In the Algerian province of El Oued, south-eastern Algeria, the irrigation system plays a vital role in supporting agricultural production, particularly in oil palm plantations, which have experienced significant expansion in recent decades. The development of irrigation techniques in the region dates back to antiquity, with the Lamasba system, discovered by Émile Masqueray in 1877 in the Belzma plain, being one of the most prominent examples of efficient water resource management. This ancient Roman system, which used precise schedules to distribute water from permanent sources, meticulously determined the quantities and times of water flow, reflecting a high level of social and economic organization at that time. During the French colonial period between 1957 and 1959, the Hoba area in the Righiba commune of El Oued province experienced a remarkable growth in oil palm plantations, with the implementation of advanced irrigation techniques, inspired by the ancient Roman system but modified to suit local conditions. As the project expanded, new challenges arose related to water distribution, particularly in fields far from water sources, leading to the construction of small, taller water towers to improve distribution efficiency. This study analyzes the current irrigation system in the Hoba region, focusing on the technical challenges these systems face, such as obsolete valves and the presence of weeds in the irrigation channels, which slow down the water flow and prolong the irrigation time. The study also examines the use of a new 5-meter-high tower that partially solved the problem of low water flow, while providing additional improvement suggestions to ensure the sustainability of agricultural production in these desert areas. The objective of this study is to offer a comprehensive vision on how to improve irrigation systems to meet the needs of modern agriculture and increase productivity in arid environments.

Does community-based tenure prevent land grabbing? The oil palm case in Mexico

The recent oil palm expansion has resulted in significant land losses for rural communities globally, raising concerns about food security, poverty, and the loss of common resources. This study investigates whether community-based tenure regimes in Mexico, particularly ejidos, prevent land grabbing and land concentration in oil palm producing regions. By mapping oil palm plantation types (smallholdings, mid-sized and large-scale plantations) across major land tenure regimes (ejido, communal and private property) using high spatial resolution imagery from Google Earth and ESRI/Maxar, we explore the relationship between tenure forms and land concentration. Our findings suggest that ejido lands largely prevents land grabbing by oil palm, although neoliberal reforms have favored land concentration, especially under private tenured land (southern Campeche) but also in some ejidos facing illegal land-based investments (Lacandon rainforest). This research contributes to broader debates on oil palm, tenure regimes and land grabbing, highlighting the need for land tenure policies that protect rural communities from industrial plantation encroachments.