Socio-ecological perspectives of engaging smallholders in environmental-friendly palm oil certification schemes

The majority of smallholders in palm oil producing countries are not involved in palm oil certification schemes. The schemes are jointly developed by environmental NGOs, government agencies, and plantation companies without the input of smallholders. The inclusion of smallholders into palm oil certi...

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Main Authors: Saadun, Norzanalia, Lim, Evelyn Ai Lin, Mohd Esa, Shakinah, Ngu, Freddy, Awang, Fatihah, Gimin, Akram, Johari, Izzah Hafizah, Firdaus, Muhammad Abrisam, Wagimin, Nurul Izati, Md Sharif, Badrul Azhar
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2018
Online Access:http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/73924/
http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/73924/1/Socio-ecological%20perspectives%20of%20engaging%20smallholders%20in%20environmental-friendly%20palm%20oil%20certification%20schemes.pdf
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author Saadun, Norzanalia
Lim, Evelyn Ai Lin
Mohd Esa, Shakinah
Ngu, Freddy
Awang, Fatihah
Gimin, Akram
Johari, Izzah Hafizah
Firdaus, Muhammad Abrisam
Wagimin, Nurul Izati
Md Sharif, Badrul Azhar
author_facet Saadun, Norzanalia
Lim, Evelyn Ai Lin
Mohd Esa, Shakinah
Ngu, Freddy
Awang, Fatihah
Gimin, Akram
Johari, Izzah Hafizah
Firdaus, Muhammad Abrisam
Wagimin, Nurul Izati
Md Sharif, Badrul Azhar
author_sort Saadun, Norzanalia
building UPM Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description The majority of smallholders in palm oil producing countries are not involved in palm oil certification schemes. The schemes are jointly developed by environmental NGOs, government agencies, and plantation companies without the input of smallholders. The inclusion of smallholders into palm oil certification schemes is necessary as they constitute 40% of land use coverage for global palm oil cultivation. This paper argues for the need to understand the smallholders’ socio-ecological perspectives to design a realistic and acceptable scheme. Three hundred independent and managed smallholders in Peninsular Malaysia were interviewed to collect information on the groups’ knowledge, perception, expectation and willingness to participate in the certification scheme. The study showed that the smallholder groups (more than 90% of the respondents) were keen to participate in the certification scheme if there is a premium pricing for oil palm yield and the certification cost is affordable. The study also indicated that smallholders need to be educated on biodiversity conservation and provided with financial and technical incentives to boost smallholders’ participation. The paper concludes that understanding the socio-ecological background of smallholders is instrumental to designing a holistic certification scheme that will successfully conserve biodiversity in the agricultural production landscape without neglecting the plight of smallholders.
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spelling upm-739242020-05-14T16:24:57Z http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/73924/ Socio-ecological perspectives of engaging smallholders in environmental-friendly palm oil certification schemes Saadun, Norzanalia Lim, Evelyn Ai Lin Mohd Esa, Shakinah Ngu, Freddy Awang, Fatihah Gimin, Akram Johari, Izzah Hafizah Firdaus, Muhammad Abrisam Wagimin, Nurul Izati Md Sharif, Badrul Azhar The majority of smallholders in palm oil producing countries are not involved in palm oil certification schemes. The schemes are jointly developed by environmental NGOs, government agencies, and plantation companies without the input of smallholders. The inclusion of smallholders into palm oil certification schemes is necessary as they constitute 40% of land use coverage for global palm oil cultivation. This paper argues for the need to understand the smallholders’ socio-ecological perspectives to design a realistic and acceptable scheme. Three hundred independent and managed smallholders in Peninsular Malaysia were interviewed to collect information on the groups’ knowledge, perception, expectation and willingness to participate in the certification scheme. The study showed that the smallholder groups (more than 90% of the respondents) were keen to participate in the certification scheme if there is a premium pricing for oil palm yield and the certification cost is affordable. The study also indicated that smallholders need to be educated on biodiversity conservation and provided with financial and technical incentives to boost smallholders’ participation. The paper concludes that understanding the socio-ecological background of smallholders is instrumental to designing a holistic certification scheme that will successfully conserve biodiversity in the agricultural production landscape without neglecting the plight of smallholders. Elsevier 2018 Article PeerReviewed text en http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/73924/1/Socio-ecological%20perspectives%20of%20engaging%20smallholders%20in%20environmental-friendly%20palm%20oil%20certification%20schemes.pdf Saadun, Norzanalia and Lim, Evelyn Ai Lin and Mohd Esa, Shakinah and Ngu, Freddy and Awang, Fatihah and Gimin, Akram and Johari, Izzah Hafizah and Firdaus, Muhammad Abrisam and Wagimin, Nurul Izati and Md Sharif, Badrul Azhar (2018) Socio-ecological perspectives of engaging smallholders in environmental-friendly palm oil certification schemes. Land Use Policy, 72. 333 - 340. ISSN 0264-8377; ESSN: 1873-5754 10.1016/j.landusepol.2017.12.057
spellingShingle Saadun, Norzanalia
Lim, Evelyn Ai Lin
Mohd Esa, Shakinah
Ngu, Freddy
Awang, Fatihah
Gimin, Akram
Johari, Izzah Hafizah
Firdaus, Muhammad Abrisam
Wagimin, Nurul Izati
Md Sharif, Badrul Azhar
Socio-ecological perspectives of engaging smallholders in environmental-friendly palm oil certification schemes
title Socio-ecological perspectives of engaging smallholders in environmental-friendly palm oil certification schemes
title_full Socio-ecological perspectives of engaging smallholders in environmental-friendly palm oil certification schemes
title_fullStr Socio-ecological perspectives of engaging smallholders in environmental-friendly palm oil certification schemes
title_full_unstemmed Socio-ecological perspectives of engaging smallholders in environmental-friendly palm oil certification schemes
title_short Socio-ecological perspectives of engaging smallholders in environmental-friendly palm oil certification schemes
title_sort socio-ecological perspectives of engaging smallholders in environmental-friendly palm oil certification schemes
url http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/73924/
http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/73924/
http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/73924/1/Socio-ecological%20perspectives%20of%20engaging%20smallholders%20in%20environmental-friendly%20palm%20oil%20certification%20schemes.pdf