A sustainable palm oil development model for Papua
06/04/2023 (The Jakarta Post) - As oil palm plantations can be a significant contributor to rural livelihoods in Indonesia, the government has been capitalizing on this commodity and strengthening Indonesia’s position as the global leader in palm oil production by expanding plantations. As land for new plantation investment has become scarce in Kalimantan and Sumatra, plantation developers are looking east to acquire land in Papua.
The growing interest in developing oil palm plantations in Papua presents potential opportunities, but also challenges.
Plantation development in Papua has opened up isolated areas, stimulated infrastructure development, generated employment and improved workers’ incomes. However, the indigenous communities’ reliance on forests for subsistence and their lack of familiarity with oil palm as a cash crop have proven to be a major barrier to their employment and effective engagement in this industry.