Rubber plantation size and global rubber price are linked to forest loss and degradation in Jambi, Sumatra

• DOI: 10.1002/inc3.43
• Publication Date: 2024-04-10T11:24:45Z
• Authors: H. Manjari Jayath...; Cheng Zhi Wei; Gerald Tan; Côme de la Porte; L. Roman Carrasco
• Keywords: Forest degradation; Degradation

Abstract Natural rubber cultivation is one of the main drivers tropical deforestation and biodiversity loss. This study examines regulatory socio‐economic conditions that increase susceptibility plantations to degradation, aiming support zero‐deforestation pledges sustainability commitments made by natural industry. By combining bottom‐up survey data from smallholder farmers in Indonesia with top‐down spatial datasets on forest loss this identifies factors associated deforestation, tree cover loss, degradation high‐risk plantations. In Jambi Province, Indonesia, 1991 2018, overall areas adjacent was positively correlated plantation size, remoteness (travel time cities), distance nearest protected areas, indicating larger, remotely located likely expanded more into forests between 2000 2018. Similarly, travel cities, areas. A higher price preceding year increased annual whereas lower prices had opposite effect. These results suggest monitoring changes identifying are near non‐protected frontiers could enable early detection potential mitigation threats.