Sustainability Analysis of Palm Oil Plantation in Central Kalimantan Province, Indonesia

Abstract

Palm oil plantation in Central Kalimantan has started since 1994 until the end of 2011 and it reached 1.256.444 ha areas. However, it has been a lot of criticism from non-governmental organizations, both domestically and abroad because the palm oil plantation alleged negative impact on the economic, social and environment dimensions.   This research uses MDS (Multi-Dimensional Scaling) to analyze the status of palm oil sustainability. Data collected from several agencies, 6 private plantations and interview with relevant experts, village officials, community leaders and 134 households around the private plantation in West Kotawaringin Regency, Central Kalimantan Province.

The results show that palm oil plantation simultaneously sustainable with 82.64% index, but partially the index values of economic, social, environment, technology and legality ??dimensions respectively 68.77%, 85.19%, 94.70 %, 79.59% and 94.36%. The low index partially caused by palm oil plantation has not apply all of the principles and criterias of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), such as the low productivity, planted area of palm oil for society not appropriate yet with the regulation, the community right of land has not resolved yet properly, the poor follow-up on the monitoring results of waste and integrated pest management, standard operating procedures of planted area and mill not fully implemented yet, and the planted area exceed the Land Use Permit that determined by government. Therefore, palm oil plantation in Central Kalimantan needs to apply the principles and criterias of the RSPO continously.

Key words: palm oil, sustainable index