Challenges for climate-smart oil palm production. Production systems at a crossroad

Rival Alain. 2024. Challenges for climate-smart oil palm production. Production systems at a crossroad. Cologne : BDSI, 25 p.

Résumé : Palm oil is recognised as a major source of foreign reserves in tropical countries, as well as the main instru- ment of poverty alleviation and rural economic development. This perennial tropical crop is a champion in terms of productivity, but is it resilient enough to face the intrinsic risks caused by the large-scale mono- culture of one single species over extended areas? Even if the public debate is not as opinionated as it was in the past decade, the production of oil palm is still associated in the public arena with damage to the environment and an unbalanced diet due to the high proportion of saturated fatty acids in palm oil. The sector is also facing growing constraints linked to, among many other parameters, climate change, price volatility and labour scarcity. In this context, there is an urgent need to rethink the oil palm production model and proposing a change of paradigm based on nature-based solutions. Implementing a successful agroecological transition in a US$ 70 billion sector, covering 25 million hectares worldwide, calls for drastic changes in mind-sets and practices. The key issue is no longer to simply increase productivity, but to foster innovations while provi- ding a decent living for shrinking agricultural communities in the Global South. Building on restored ecosystem functions, agroforestry-based solutions are slowly emerging and they are gaining ground. Agroforestry practices have a role to play in providing substantial climate change mitiga- tion with an impact comparable to other climate-focused solutions, such as reforestation. The expected contribution of oil palm-based agroforestry relies on agro-environmental services, as basic agricultural functions such as soil preservation, pollination and pest control can be ensured by a diversity of living organisms, both inside and around the plantation. Innovative approaches are bolstering the restoration of degraded lands and expanding agroforestry. Building on regenerative agriculture, new plantation designs are emerging and deserve to be thoroughly assessed to establish evidence-based advocacy for change.

Mots-clés libres : Value chain, Oil crops, Elaeis guineensis Jacq., Agroforestry, Sustainability, Agroecological transition, Climate Change

Agences de financement hors UE : Agence Française de Développement, Fond de solidarité pour les projets innovants

Projets sur financement : (FRA) ClimaTe Resilient lAndscapes for wIldLife conservation, (FRA) Sustainable management of agricultural and forestry landscapes in ASEAN

Auteurs et affiliations

• Rival Alain, CIRAD-PERSYST-UMR ABSys (IDN) ORCID: 0000-0001-6304-3268

Source : Cirad-Agritrop (https://agritrop.cirad.fr/610564/)

Métriques

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