Fostering a climate-smart intensification for oil palm

Authors

Juan Pablo Monzon, University of Nebraska–Lincoln & National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET)Follow
Maja A. Slingerland, Wageningen University and Research
Suroso Rahutomo, Indonesian Oil Palm Research Institute (IOPRI), Medan, Indonesia
Fahmuddin Agus, Indonesian Agency for Agricultural Research and Development (IAARD)
Thomas Oberthür, African Plant Nutrition Institute (APNI), Benguérir, Morocco
José F. Andrade, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Antoine Couëdel, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Juan I. Rattalino Edreira, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Willem Hekman, Wageningen University and Research
Rob van den Beuken, Wageningen University and Research
Fandi Hidayat, Indonesian Oil Palm Research Institute (IOPRI)
Iput Pradiko, Indonesian Oil Palm Research Institute (IOPRI)
Dwi K.G. Purwantomo, Indonesian Agency for Agricultural Research and Development (IAARD)
Christopher R. Donough, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Hendra Sugianto, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Ya Li Lim, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Thomas Farrell, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Patricio Grassini, University of Nebraska - LincolnFollow

ORCID IDs

Juan P. Monzon http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6992-1842

Maja A. Slingerland http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8087-8881

Fahmuddin Agus http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2369-5725

José F. Andrade http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8635-7320

Antoine Couëdel http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5786-0939

Iput Pradiko http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7877-8400

Christopher R. Donough http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0763-8512

Patricio Grassini http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7501-842X

Document Type

Article

Date of this Version

7-2021

Citation

Published in Nature Sustainability 4 (July 2021), pp. 595–601.

doi:10.1038/s41893-021-00700-y

Comments

Published by Springer/Nature. Used by permission.

Abstract

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 MtCO₂e 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.