Complexities and Tradeoffs involved with Smallholder versus Large commercial oil palm plantations in Indonesian Borneo

We will investigate social, environmental, and economic impacts of smallholder vs. large commercial oil palm plantations on the conservation of biodiversity and forests in Indonesian Borneo. Oil palm is a controversial matter with many invested parties. Oil palm is one of the most used vegetable oils in the world (Budidarsono et al. 2013). It produces the highest yield per hectare (Budidarsono et al. 2013). It is one of the main sources of economic growth for Indonesia (Dixon 2016), however oil palm plantations have caused massive deforestation in one of the world’s largest biodiversity hotspots. Approximately 47% of intact forests have been converted into plantations resulting in a significant loss in carbon storage and habitats for endangered species (Carlson et al. 2013). Aboriginal peoples were strong-armed into leaving their land. Because of this, millions of people face social, cultural, and economic hardships (United Nations 2007). Both large commercial and smallholder plantations provide many jobs for the Indonesian people. Values of different stakeholders and trade-offs between groups make this a complex problem. We will explore this in a wiki page through sections on the history and uses of the plant, the benefits of oil palm, the social, economic, and environmental impacts of smallholder and large commercial plantations, and finally the forest and biodiversity at risk.