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Socio-ecological perspectives of engaging smallholders in environmental-friendly palm oil certification schemes

Author

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  • Saadun, Norzanalia
  • Lim, Evelyn Ai Lin
  • Esa, Shakinah Mohd
  • Ngu, Freddy
  • Awang, Fatihah
  • Gimin, Akram
  • Johari, Izzah Hafizah
  • Firdaus, Muhammad Abrisam
  • Wagimin, Nurul Izati
  • Azhar, Badrul

Abstract

The majority of smallholders in palm oil producing countries are not involved in palm oil certification schemes. The schemes are jointly developed by environmental NGOs, government agencies, and plantation companies without the input of smallholders. The inclusion of smallholders into palm oil certification schemes is necessary as they constitute 40% of land use coverage for global palm oil cultivation. This paper argues for the need to understand the smallholders’ socio-ecological perspectives to design a realistic and acceptable scheme. Three hundred independent and managed smallholders in Peninsular Malaysia were interviewed to collect information on the groups’ knowledge, perception, expectation and willingness to participate in the certification scheme. The study showed that the smallholder groups (more than 90% of the respondents) were keen to participate in the certification scheme if there is a premium pricing for oil palm yield and the certification cost is affordable. The study also indicated that smallholders need to be educated on biodiversity conservation and provided with financial and technical incentives to boost smallholders’ participation. The paper concludes that understanding the socio-ecological background of smallholders is instrumental to designing a holistic certification scheme that will successfully conserve biodiversity in the agricultural production landscape without neglecting the plight of smallholders.

Suggested Citation

  • Saadun, Norzanalia & Lim, Evelyn Ai Lin & Esa, Shakinah Mohd & Ngu, Freddy & Awang, Fatihah & Gimin, Akram & Johari, Izzah Hafizah & Firdaus, Muhammad Abrisam & Wagimin, Nurul Izati & Azhar, Badrul, 2018. "Socio-ecological perspectives of engaging smallholders in environmental-friendly palm oil certification schemes," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 72(C), pages 333-340.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:lauspo:v:72:y:2018:i:c:p:333-340
    DOI: 10.1016/j.landusepol.2017.12.057
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    1. Ogahara, Zoë & Jespersen, Kristjan & Theilade, Ida & Nielsen, Martin Reinhard, 2022. "Review of smallholder palm oil sustainability reveals limited positive impacts and identifies key implementation and knowledge gaps," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 120(C).
    2. Apriani, Ernawati & Kim, Yeon-Su & Fisher, Larry A. & Baral, Himlal, 2020. "Non-state certification of smallholders for sustainable palm oil in Sumatra, Indonesia," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 99(C).
    3. de Vos, Rosanne E. & Suwarno, Aritta & Slingerland, Maja & van der Meer, Peter J. & Lucey, Jennifer M., 2023. "Pre-certification conditions of independent oil palm smallholders in Indonesia. Assessing prospects for RSPO certification," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 130(C).
    4. Somjai Nupueng & Peter Oosterveer & Arthur P. J. Mol, 2023. "Global and local sustainable certification systems: Factors influencing RSPO and Thai-GAP adoption by oil palm smallholder farmers in Thailand," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 25(7), pages 6337-6362, July.
    5. Tapia, John Frederick D. & Doliente, Stephen S. & Samsatli, Sheila, 2021. "How much land is available for sustainable palm oil?," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 102(C).
    6. Abd Hair Awang & Iskandar Zainuddin Rela & Azlan Abas & Mohamad Arfan Johari & Mohammad Effendi Marzuki & Mohd Noor Ramdan Mohd Faudzi & Adri Musa, 2021. "Peat Land Oil Palm Farmers’ Direct and Indirect Benefits from Good Agriculture Practices," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(14), pages 1-18, July.
    7. Ahmed Zainul Abideen & Veera Pandiyan Kaliani Sundram & Shahryar Sorooshian, 2023. "Scope for Sustainable Development of Small Holder Farmers in the Palm Oil Supply Chain—A Systematic Literature Review and Thematic Scientific Mapping," Logistics, MDPI, vol. 7(1), pages 1-24, January.
    8. Gallemore, Caleb & Jespersen, Kristjan & Olmsted, Paige, 2022. "Harnessing relational values for global value chain sustainability: Reframing the roundtable on sustainable palm oil's offset mechanism to support smallholders," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 193(C).
    9. Kuok Ho Daniel Tang & Hamad M. S. Al Qahtani, 2020. "Sustainability of oil palm plantations in Malaysia," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 22(6), pages 4999-5023, August.
    10. Si, Ruishi & Lu, Qian & Aziz, Noshaba, 2021. "Does the stability of farmland rental contract & conservation tillage adoption improve family welfare? Empirical insights from Zhangye, China," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 107(C).
    11. Azhar, Badrul & Nobilly, Frisco & Lechner, Alex M. & Tohiran, Kamil Azmi & Maxwell, Thomas M.R. & Zulkifli, Raja & Kamel, Mohd Fathil & Oon, Aslinda, 2021. "Mitigating the risks of indirect land use change (ILUC) related deforestation from industrial palm oil expansion by sharing land access with displaced crop and cattle farmers," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 107(C).
    12. Arya Hadi Dharmawan & Dyah Ita Mardiyaningsih & Faris Rahmadian & Bayu Eka Yulian & Heru Komarudin & Pablo Pacheco & Jaboury Ghazoul & Rizka Amalia, 2021. "The Agrarian, Structural and Cultural Constraints of Smallholders’ Readiness for Sustainability Standards Implementation: The Case of Indonesian Sustainable Palm Oil in East Kalimantan," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(5), pages 1-20, March.

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