Showcase Bioeconomy: Research Wants to Combine Species Protection and Palm Oil Production

August 17, 2020

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(University of Hohenheim) In Sumatra, smallholders in particular have a key function, according to a study on the conversion of rainforests into monocultures and their effects -- Oil palm plantations as far as the eye can see. In addition to a dramatic decline in many animal and plant species, such plantations often lead to massive environmental problems. Small farmers in the tropics are also increasingly converting their land management from traditional to these economically more attractive land use systems. A current study by 41 researchers shows for the first time the economic-ecological conflicting goals of these developments for the oil palm landscapes of Indonesia. There, the conversion from forest and agroforestry systems to rubber and oil palm monocultures leads to significant increases in income for the smallholders involved. "However, this results in a dramatic loss of biodiversity," said the first author of the publication, Prof. Dr. Ingo Graß from the University of Hohenheim in Stuttgart. One solution to the dilemma could be changes in economic incentive structures, such as B. a certification of sustainable cultivation practices. The publication appeared in the journal Nature Communications atdoi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-15013-5 .

The tropical rainforests are among the most biodiverse habitats on earth. But they are especially threatened by the increasing spread and intensification of agriculture. In recent years, environmental protection organizations and the media have focused primarily on the ever-growing large plantations, especially those of oil palms.

"However, it is small farmers with farms between 10 and 20 hectares in size who cultivate most of the agricultural land in many tropical regions," explains Prof. Dr. Grass. Although these smallholders strongly shape the landscape, the social, economic and ecological consequences have not yet been studied much.

Study examines the consequences of smallholder monocultures

In an interdisciplinary study by the Universities of Göttingen, Hohenheim and Indonesian partner universities as part of the Collaborative Research Center 990 "EFForTS" funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG), the economic-ecological conflicting goals of these developments for the oil palm landscapes of Indonesia have now been examined for the first time.

In the last few decades the lowlands of the Jambi province on Sumatra in Indonesia have changed from a wooded landscape to a landscape dominated by crops with rubber and oil palm plantations. How big the scale is, shows Prof. Dr. Graß: “In 1990 around 50% of the area was covered with rainforest, in 2013 it was only 35%. And this development is still going on. With far-reaching consequences for people and the environment. "

Smallholders benefit significantly from monocultures - at the expense of biodiversity

The conversion from traditional forest and agroforestry systems, in which different plant cultures grow together with trees on an area, to rubber and oil palm monocultures, significantly improves the income situation of smallholders. Not only because significantly higher market prices can be achieved for oil palm fruits than for other crops, but also because monocultures are easier to manage.

“In addition, the oil palm is compared to other oil fruits, such as. B. Soy, about three times as productive, ”explains Prof. Dr. Grass. "However, the smallholders in our study region cultivate around 61% of the area under cultivation for oil palms, but only produce 40% of the total amount of oil."

This has dramatic consequences for biodiversity, affecting both surface and subterranean organisms. If there are thousands of different species in an intact rainforest on Sumatra, from bacteria, fungi and worms to trees, insects and birds to bats, over 90% of the species have disappeared in the monocultures.

In addition, these monocultures have a significantly reduced functionality. On the one hand, the soil, which is poor in nutrients and species, can absorb significantly less of the greenhouse gas CO ₂On the other hand, nutrients and pollutants can be washed out more easily and end up in the groundwater and rivers. As a result, wells and rivers become unusable as sources of drinking water, because the water is contaminated with nitrates and aluminum, for example.

Potential for conflict because the gap between rich and poor is widening

But it is not just biodiversity that is threatened. The development towards smallholder monocultures is also leading to social changes.

Those who have land on which to grow oil palms are significantly more affluent than people without sufficient knowledge or access to land and resources. The authors of the study fear that there could be a potential for conflict here, because the gap between rich and poor is widening.

Individual solution approaches are necessary

How can a solution look like? "There are many ideas, but they must also be feasible in the respective region and accepted by the people," says Prof. Dr. Grass. At the same time, it must be possible to solve the dilemma between maintaining biodiversity and the highest possible income for smallholders. At the national level, the oil palm boom since 2000 has lifted an estimated 2.6 million rural Indonesians out of poverty.

The team of authors simulated different types of land use on the computer to determine how much profit can be generated in the respective landscape and how many species can be found there. An optimization algorithm was used to determine which form of land use leads to the highest possible biodiversity with a certain profit.

In this way, landscape compositions were created which attenuate some of the conflicting goals with optimal land use allocation. "Ideally, smallholder landscapes consist of a mosaic of forest fragments, agroforestry, monocultures and settlements that have the potential to combine high yields and high biodiversity," explains Prof. Dr. Grass out.

However, the simulations show that landscapes dominated by intensive monocultures always lead to higher profits for small farmers. In fact, the oil palm monoculture is the most land-saving way to generate the highest possible profit. In order to keep the loss of biological diversity and ecosystem functions as low as possible, compensation areas must exist where the rainforest remains as natural as possible.

For the team of authors, new economic incentive structures aimed at sustainable land management are urgently required. This can e.g. For example, government-sponsored measures, such as an obligation to leave rainforest islands within monocultures, or premium prices for products that have been manufactured using environmentally friendly methods, such as rubber or palm oil from certified landscapes. "Initial talks with local authorities are already underway," says Prof. Dr. Grass as a view.

BACKGROUND: EFForTS

EFForTS is a special research area funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG) that investigates the ecological and socio-economic effects of the change from forests to a landscape dominated by crops with rubber and oil palm plantations in the lowlands of Sumatra. This is based on research carried out in the province of Jambi with a focus on small-scale farming systems.

More than 160 researchers from the Universities of Göttingen and Hohenheim in Germany and the Indonesian universities IPB University (Bogor), UNTAD (Tadulako University, Palu) and UNJA (University of Jambi) are working closely together in the EFForTS project. They represent a wide range of disciplines including ecology, forestry, agriculture, remote sensing, economics, human geography, and cultural anthropology.

BACKGROUND: Science Year 2020 Bioeconomy

In 2020, the Science Year will be all about the bioeconomy - and thus a sustainable, bio-based economy. The aim is to produce and use natural materials and resources in a sustainable and innovative way and thus to replace fossil and mineral raw materials, to manufacture products in a more environmentally friendly manner and to conserve biological resources. In times of climate change, a growing world population and a drastic decline in species, this is more necessary than ever. The Bioeconomy Science Year organized by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) puts the topic in the spotlight.

The bioeconomy is the main theme of the University of Hohenheim in research and teaching. It connects the agricultural, natural and economic and social science faculties. In the Bioeconomy Science Year, the University of Hohenheim informs experts and the general public on the topic in numerous events. READ MORE

Trade-offs between multifunctionality and profit in tropical smallholder landscapes (Nature Communications)