Fostering a climate-smart intensification for oil palm

Oil palm production in Indonesia has expanded by converting more natural ecosystems to agricultural ones. This study finds large yield gaps among large and smallholder farms there, suggesting improved management could increase production while sparing fragile ecosystems. Oil palm production in Indonesia illustrates the intense pressure that exists worldwide to convert natural ecosystems to agricultural production. Oil palm production has increased because of expansion of cultivated area rather than due to average-yield increases. We used a data-rich modelling approach to investigate how intensification on existing plantations could help Indonesia meet palm oil demand while preserving fragile ecosystems. We found that average current yield represents 62% and 53% of the attainable yield in large and smallholder plantations, respectively. Narrowing yield gaps via improved agronomic management, together with a limited expansion that excludes fragile ecosystems, would save 2.6 million hectares of forests and peatlands and avoid 732 MtCO(2)e compared with following historical trends in yield and land use. Fine-tuning policy to promote intensification, along with investments in agricultural research and development, can help reconcile economic and environmental goals.

Automated summary

Oil palm production in Indonesia has significantly expanded through conversion of natural ecosystems to agricultural land. This study highlights the large yield gaps between large and smallholder farms, indicating that improved management practices could increase production while protecting fragile ecosystems. This research emphasizes the importance of intensifying existing plantations and limiting expansion to save forests and peatlands, and reduce carbon emissions.