Review of smallholder palm oil sustainability reveals limited positive impacts and identifies key implementation and knowledge gaps

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articlepeer-review

Standard

Review of smallholder palm oil sustainability reveals limited positive impacts and identifies key implementation and knowledge gaps. / Ogahara, Zoë; Jespersen, Kristjan; Theilade, Ida; Nielsen, Martin Reinhard.

In: Land Use Policy, Vol. 120, 106258, 2022.

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articlepeer-review

Harvard

Ogahara, Z, Jespersen, K, Theilade, I & Nielsen, MR 2022, 'Review of smallholder palm oil sustainability reveals limited positive impacts and identifies key implementation and knowledge gaps', Land Use Policy, vol. 120, 106258. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2022.106258

APA

Ogahara, Z., Jespersen, K., Theilade, I., & Nielsen, M. R. (2022). Review of smallholder palm oil sustainability reveals limited positive impacts and identifies key implementation and knowledge gaps. Land Use Policy, 120, [106258]. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2022.106258

Vancouver

Ogahara Z, Jespersen K, Theilade I, Nielsen MR. Review of smallholder palm oil sustainability reveals limited positive impacts and identifies key implementation and knowledge gaps. Land Use Policy. 2022;120. 106258. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2022.106258

Author

Ogahara, Zoë ; Jespersen, Kristjan ; Theilade, Ida ; Nielsen, Martin Reinhard. / Review of smallholder palm oil sustainability reveals limited positive impacts and identifies key implementation and knowledge gaps. In: Land Use Policy. 2022 ; Vol. 120.

Bibtex

@article{bebd82eb86974b52badcabb9c6413b07,
title = "Review of smallholder palm oil sustainability reveals limited positive impacts and identifies key implementation and knowledge gaps",
abstract = "{\textquoteleft}Sustainable palm oil{\textquoteright} aims to eliminate deforestation, greenhouse gas emissions, land conflicts and labour abuses from palm oil global value chains while maintaining palm oil production as a vehicle for development in tropical countries. However, smallholder palm oil growers are a small minority of those who are certified as sustainable and persistently face multiple socio-economic challenges. We analysed 100 journal articles that address smallholders, oil palm and issues related to sustainability in order to critically examine the current state of evidence for sustainability upgrading in smallholder palm oil global value chains. We identify a focus on sustainability certification in the academic research agenda that has left key implementation and knowledge gaps on meeting smallholders{\textquoteright} needs outside of a certification framework. An implication of this is that buyers, policy-makers, and consumers do not recognise both the challenges and advantages of small-scale agriculture for sustainable palm oil. We found that certification standards struggle to resolve persistent smallholder challenges, such as low incomes, low yields and insecure land tenure. Certification appears to be a flawed method to conceptualize and measure the sustainability of smallholders. We, therefore, advocate broadening approaches to studying sustainability and smallholder palm oil production, particularly to target issues that are of immediate concern for smallholder farmers as opposed to prioritising productivity. Future research should take inspiration from diverse established fields of research in defining sustainable practices, such as agroecology or agroforestry.",
keywords = "Certification, Global value chains, Palm oil, Review, Sustainability, Upgrading",
author = "Zo{\"e} Ogahara and Kristjan Jespersen and Ida Theilade and Nielsen, {Martin Reinhard}",
note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2022 The Authors",
year = "2022",
doi = "10.1016/j.landusepol.2022.106258",
language = "English",
volume = "120",
journal = "Land Use Policy",
issn = "0264-8377",
publisher = "Pergamon Press",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - Review of smallholder palm oil sustainability reveals limited positive impacts and identifies key implementation and knowledge gaps

AU - Ogahara, Zoë

AU - Jespersen, Kristjan

AU - Theilade, Ida

AU - Nielsen, Martin Reinhard

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2022 The Authors

PY - 2022

Y1 - 2022

N2 - ‘Sustainable palm oil’ aims to eliminate deforestation, greenhouse gas emissions, land conflicts and labour abuses from palm oil global value chains while maintaining palm oil production as a vehicle for development in tropical countries. However, smallholder palm oil growers are a small minority of those who are certified as sustainable and persistently face multiple socio-economic challenges. We analysed 100 journal articles that address smallholders, oil palm and issues related to sustainability in order to critically examine the current state of evidence for sustainability upgrading in smallholder palm oil global value chains. We identify a focus on sustainability certification in the academic research agenda that has left key implementation and knowledge gaps on meeting smallholders’ needs outside of a certification framework. An implication of this is that buyers, policy-makers, and consumers do not recognise both the challenges and advantages of small-scale agriculture for sustainable palm oil. We found that certification standards struggle to resolve persistent smallholder challenges, such as low incomes, low yields and insecure land tenure. Certification appears to be a flawed method to conceptualize and measure the sustainability of smallholders. We, therefore, advocate broadening approaches to studying sustainability and smallholder palm oil production, particularly to target issues that are of immediate concern for smallholder farmers as opposed to prioritising productivity. Future research should take inspiration from diverse established fields of research in defining sustainable practices, such as agroecology or agroforestry.

AB - ‘Sustainable palm oil’ aims to eliminate deforestation, greenhouse gas emissions, land conflicts and labour abuses from palm oil global value chains while maintaining palm oil production as a vehicle for development in tropical countries. However, smallholder palm oil growers are a small minority of those who are certified as sustainable and persistently face multiple socio-economic challenges. We analysed 100 journal articles that address smallholders, oil palm and issues related to sustainability in order to critically examine the current state of evidence for sustainability upgrading in smallholder palm oil global value chains. We identify a focus on sustainability certification in the academic research agenda that has left key implementation and knowledge gaps on meeting smallholders’ needs outside of a certification framework. An implication of this is that buyers, policy-makers, and consumers do not recognise both the challenges and advantages of small-scale agriculture for sustainable palm oil. We found that certification standards struggle to resolve persistent smallholder challenges, such as low incomes, low yields and insecure land tenure. Certification appears to be a flawed method to conceptualize and measure the sustainability of smallholders. We, therefore, advocate broadening approaches to studying sustainability and smallholder palm oil production, particularly to target issues that are of immediate concern for smallholder farmers as opposed to prioritising productivity. Future research should take inspiration from diverse established fields of research in defining sustainable practices, such as agroecology or agroforestry.

KW - Certification

KW - Global value chains

KW - Palm oil

KW - Review

KW - Sustainability

KW - Upgrading

U2 - 10.1016/j.landusepol.2022.106258

DO - 10.1016/j.landusepol.2022.106258

M3 - Journal article

AN - SCOPUS:85133267168

VL - 120

JO - Land Use Policy

JF - Land Use Policy

SN - 0264-8377

M1 - 106258

ER -

ID: 314958903