Balancing economic and ecological functions in smallholder and industrial oil palm plantations

• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2307220121
• Publication Date: 2024-04-15T19:06:53Z
• Authors: Arne Wenzel; Catrin Westphal; Johannes Ballauff; Dirk Berkelmann; Fabian Brambach; Damayanti Buchori; Nicolò Camarretta; Marife D. Corre; Rolf Daniel; Kevin Darras; Stefan Erasmi; Greta Formaglio; Dirk Hölscher; Najeeb Al-Amin Id...; Bambang Irawan; Alexander Knohl; Martyna M. Kotowska; Valentyna Krashevska; Holger Kreft; Yeni Mulyani; Oliver Mußhoff; Gustavo B. Paterno; Andrea Polle; Anton Potapov; Alexander Röll; Stefan Scheu; Michael Schlund; Dominik Schneider; Kibrom T. Sibhatu; Christian Stiegler; Leti Sundawati; Aiyen Tjoa; Teja Tscharntke; Edzo Veldkamp; Pierre-André Waite; Meike Wollni; Delphine Clara Zemp; Ingo Grass
• Keywords: Conservation of Natural Resources; huile de palme; forêt tropicale humide; rendement des cultures; communauté rurale; Industrial Oils; Arecaceae; Forests; Palm Oil; écosystème; biodiversité; écologie; Trees; 03 medical and health sciences; http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_10176; économie rurale; Elaeis guineensis; http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_3048; http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_3840; intensification; Ecosystem; E10 - Économie et politique agricoles; écosystème forestier; E21 - Agro-industrie; http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_2509; 0303 health sciences; E90 - Structure agraire; http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_33949; http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_29100; petit agriculteur; Agriculture; Biodiversity; Biological Sciences; plantation forestière; http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_2482; http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_1374842133961; http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_7976; http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_14343; http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_6700; http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_33485; http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_5514; http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_2467; plantations; http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_5990

The expansion of the oil palm industry in Indonesia has improved livelihoods rural communities, but comes at cost biodiversity and ecosystem degradation. Here, we investigated ways to balance ecological economic outcomes cultivation. We compared a wide range production systems, including smallholder plantations, industrialized company estates, estates with agronomic management, native tree enrichment. Across all management types, assessed multiple indicators biodiversity, functions, landscape structure identify factors that facilitate economic–ecological win–wins, using yields as measure performance. Although, found were, on average, twice high those displayed substantial variability across regardless yield variations, highlighting potential for win–wins. Reducing intensity (e.g., mechanical weeding instead herbicide application) did not lower moderate costs, making it balancing demands. Additionally, maintaining forest cover generally enhanced local functioning within plantations. Enriching plantations trees is also promising strategy increase value without reducing productivity. Overall, recommend closing gaps cultivation through careful intensification, whereas conventional could reduce sacrificing yield. Our study highlights various pathways reconcile economics ecology identifies practices more sustainable future