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Author: Kusumaningtyas, R. Publisher: CIFOR ISBN: Category : Languages : en Pages : 8
Book Description
Key messages Many stakeholders, including governments, production and processing companies and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), are working towards a more sustainable palm oil sector. Although smallholders account for an important share of oil palm cultivation, the social and environmental challenges of smallholder practices receive relatively little attention.Financial Service Providers (FSPs), such as banks and pension funds, could play a more significant role developing a more sustainable and inclusive palm oil sector by tying Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) conditions to the financial services they provide to palm oil companies that source products from smallholders.The majority of funds financing the major palm oil companies originate from FSPs based in Asian countries such as Japan, Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore. Currently, these FSPs do not have adequate ESG policies.European and American FSP policies are more advanced in addressing such issues as deforestation and Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) certification. Nevertheless, they still pay very little attention to the inclusion of smallholders in sustainable supply chains.Due to the differences between ESG policies followed by European and American FSPs in comparison to Asian FSPs, palm oil companies still have ample alternatives to access financing with few conditions. As a result, the potentially significant contribution of FSPs to foster a more sustainable palm oil sector remains underutilized.Adoption of more adequate ESG policies by Asian FSPs could occur in the first place through an increased understanding by these FSPs of the financial risks involved in continuing business as usual. Second, peer pressure from European and American FSPs and sustainability initiatives would help. Third, financial regulators in the palm oil production countries increasingly look for instruments to stimulate the financial sector to contribute more to the sustainable development of their economies.
Author: Kusumaningtyas, R. Publisher: CIFOR ISBN: 6023870589 Category : Palm oil industry Languages : en Pages : 54
Book Description
The global palm oil sector faces ongoing threats to sustainability caused by deforestation, peatland development, labor rights violations and land right conflicts. Additionally, integrating smallholders into sustainable palm oil supply chains continues to be a challenge for the industry. Financial service providers (FSPs) could play a role in stimulating sustainability commitments from the palm oil companies they finance. Their potential influence stems from their capacity to set environmental, social and governance (ESG) conditions for financial services. This research shows that European and US FSPs are further along than their counterparts in Asia in adopting policies that include ESG risk assessments as part of the process for providing financial services. However, attention to smallholder inclusion is insufficient in the policies of all FSPs included in this report. Differences between European and US versus Asian FSPs in adopting ESG standards, as well as the unique markets they finance, present a risk that two parallel but separate financial systems could emerge. Efforts by both government and nongovernmental organizations should emphasize the prevention of a two-tiered marketplace with different quality requirements for palm oil. All actors in this sector still require a significant shift in thinking on the benefits of including ESG standards in cultivation and production processes. In palm oil producing countries, the lack of specific banking regulations emphasizing sustainability concerns regarding the sector forms a further hindrance to positive developments.
Author: Bronkhorst, E. Publisher: CIFOR ISBN: 6023870597 Category : Economic assistance Languages : en Pages : 46
Book Description
The objective of this study was to evaluate past and current policies and smallholder financing schemes in the palm oil industry in Indonesia and Malaysia. The outcomes of these models for smallholders were also evaluated, in terms of income security, sustainable practices and environmental impact. Finally, financing schemes that could contribute to more sustainable smallholder oil palm development were analyzed, and compared to past and existing schemes. The focus of this study is on oil palm smallholders, who play a crucial role in the palm oil production industry and account for the vast majority of oil palm cultivation in Malaysia, and even more so in Indonesia. A number of past and current financing schemes in Indonesia and Malaysia were evaluated through a literature analysis and field assessment. In Malaysia, the main long-term financing challenges faced by smallholders have been solved by large government-sponsored financing schemes and are, thus, less relevant for the report’s discussion. As such, the case studies regarding current innovative financing schemes are restricted geographically to Indonesia. The report proposes potential models to increase the mobilization of long-term finance to smallholders in the palm oil sector. Furthermore, it identifies and reflects on the key enabling conditions that would help overcome the bottlenecks in smallholder long-term financing and create an enabling environment for sustainable oil palm investments. These are: 1) incentives to meet sustainability requirements including Good Agricultural Practices, RSPO certification and deforestation-free production; 2) land tenure security; 3) improved market linkages between smallholders and mills; 4) support for FSPs to assess and manage risks; and 5) strong and effective smallholder organizations.
Author: Sahara Publisher: CIFOR ISBN: Category : Languages : en Pages : 4
Book Description
Key messages Smallholder farmers require significant financing to establish, maintain and replant their oil palm plantations, in order to both increase productivity and improve the quality of the fresh fruit bunches (FFB) produced.Smallholders are also limited in their capacity to self-finance their plantation operations.There is a significant gap, both in terms of amount and accessibility, between the demand smallholders in the palm oil sector make for credit and the supply of that credit by banks and financial institutions.The majority of credit approved for smallholders can only be used for working capital and cannot cover the costs of replanting or accommodate the timeframe required for it.A credit maturity gap also exists in the majority of financing schemes, with loan repayment schedules beginning immediately after fund disbursement. Few financing schemes consider oil palm farmers' initial wait for a harvest, and thus provide loans with a grace period adapted to these timescales.Risk sharing gaps are visible when farmers repay their loans, as any variation or volatility in production costs and palm oil prices is borne by producers.Legal gaps are also evident, with many smallholders not holding proper documentation, which prevents them for using their land as collateral to access credit from banks.These gaps reduce the possibility of smallholders accessing formal credit, which in turn drives an informal local lending market with higher interest rates.In order to improve formal credit access for smallholder oil palm farmers, the different gaps (i.e. maturity, risk and legal) must be addressed.
Author: Idsert Jelsma Publisher: Eburon Uitgeverij B.V. ISBN: 9463012575 Category : Political Science Languages : en Pages : 174
Book Description
In search of sustainable and inclusive palm oil production builds on the old debate regarding the role of smallholder farmers in society and links it to the integration of smallholders into modern global value chains. Since the peak in global agro-commodity prices in 2007/08, interest in agriculture has increased again among policymakers and in the private sector. Modern global value chains provide opportunities for smallholder farmers but also increasingly dictate conditions in terms of production practices, and thereby determine conditions for inclusion. The Indonesian oil palm sector provides an interesting case regarding smallholder inclusion in modern global value chains and the role they play in sustainable agro-commodity production. Palm oil production in Indonesia has thrived due to insertion in global value chains, experienced massive smallholder engagement, faces considerable sustainability challenges and illustrates the impacts sustainability initiatives can have on smallholders. It thus provides a promising case to further explore the nexus of sustainable and inclusive development, smallholder agriculture and policy. The primary aim of this book is to advance the understanding of how the oil palm sector can be made more sustainable and inclusive. It does so by exploring independent and organized oil palm smallholders in Sumatra, explaining their emergence and performance, and discussing strategies to improve their performance. Whereas the smallholder oil palm sector clearly has its unique characteristics, this book unpicks some stereotypical views on smallholders and highlights the dynamics impacting farmers’ organizations over time, and thereby contributes to debates on the future of farming.
Author: Tania Murray Li Publisher: CIFOR ISBN: 6021504798 Category : Languages : en Pages : 61
Book Description
Oil palm plantations and smallholdings are expanding massively in Indonesia. Proponents highlight the potential for job creation and poverty alleviation, but scholars are more cautious, noting that social impacts of oil palm are not well understood. This report draws upon primary research in West Kalimantan to explore the gendered dynamics of oil palm among smallholders and plantation workers. It concludes that the social and economic benefits of oil palm are real, but restricted to particular social groups. Among smallholders in the research area, couples who were able to sustain diverse farming systems and add oil palm to their repertoire benefited more than transmigrants, who had to survive on limited incomes from a 2-ha plot.
Author: Pacheco, P. Publisher: CIFOR ISBN: Category : Languages : en Pages : 55
Book Description
There is abundant literature focusing on the palm oil sector, which has grown into a vigorous sector with production originating mainly from Malaysia and Indonesia, and on increased palm oil consumption in many countries around the globe, particularly European Union states, China and India. This sector expansion has become quite controversial, because while it has negative social and environmental impacts, it also leads to positive benefits in generating fiscal earnings for producing countries and regular income streams for a large number of large- and small-scale growers involved in palm oil production. This document reviews how the social, ecological, and environmental dynamics and associated implications of the global palm oil sector have grown in complexity over time, and examines the policy and institutional factors affecting the sector's development at the global and national levels. This work examines the geographies of production, consumption and trade of palm oil and its derivatives, and describes the structure of the global palm oil value chain, with special emphasis on Malaysia and Indonesia. In addition, this work reviews the main socioenvironmental impacts and trade-offs associated with the palm oil sector's expansion, with a primary focus on Indonesia. The main interest is on the social impacts this has on local populations, smallholders and workers, as well as the environmental impacts on deforestation and their associated effects on carbon emissions and biodiversity loss. Finally, the growing complexity of the global oil palm value chain has also driven diverse types of developments in the complex oil palm policy regime governing the sector's expansion. This work assesses the main features of this emerging policy regime involving public and private actors, with emphasis on Indonesia. There are multiple efforts supporting the transition to a more sustainable palm oil production; yet the lack of a coordinated public policy, effective incentives and consistent enforcement is clear and obvious. The emergence of numerous privately driven initiatives with greater involvement of civil society organizations brings new opportunities for enhancing the sector's governance; yet the uptake of voluntary standards remains slow, and any push for the adoption of more stringent standards may only widen the gap between large corporations and medium- and smallscale growers. Greater harmonization between voluntary and mandatory standards, as well as among private initiatives is required. Commitments to deforestation-free supply chains have the potential to reduce undesired environmental impacts from oil palm expansion, and while this risks excluding smallholders from the supply chains, such commitments may function to leverage the upgrading of smallholder production systems. Their success, however, will require greater public and private sector collaboration.