PALMOILMAGAZINE, SANUR – The presence of oil palm plantations within forest areas remains a pressing issue, particularly in relation to environmental sustainability. Irfan Bakhtiar, Director of Climate and Market Transformation at WWF-Indonesia, emphasized the need for a long-term strategy to manage palm oil plantations that have already encroached on forest zones, ensuring ecological balance.
One potential solution is the Jangka Benah approach, a structured land-use transition method aimed at reorganizing unplanned palm oil expansion within forest areas. However, Irfan noted that its implementation is still in the early stages and requires a more refined strategy to be effective.
A key proposal involves adaptive planting patterns and the creation of ecological corridors to protect wildlife habitats and reduce conflicts with protected species.
Also Read: Agroforestry-Based Palm Oil Management: A Key to Economic and Environmental Sustainability
“These corridors should be allocated at a specific proportion—around 5-10% of plantation land—for planting high-ecological-value tree species. This will help balance palm oil production with environmental conservation,” Irfan explained to Palmoilmagazine.com during the 7th International Conference on Oil Palm and Environment (ICOPE) in Bali on Thursday (13/2/2025).
Additionally, WWF-Indonesia has identified illegal oil palm plantations in forest areas as a major governance challenge. Recent findings indicate widespread illegal plantations in Riau, Central Kalimantan, and other regions, with small and medium-sized enterprises being responsible for significant environmental damage.
To address this issue, WWF-Indonesia also supports agroforestry-based food crop alternatives. Irfan suggested that crops such as corn, upland rice, petai, or other hardwood species could serve as sustainable agricultural diversification options.
“We have analyzed various planting models in regions such as Jambi and Central Kalimantan. This approach is expected to offer environmentally friendly solutions while supporting local farmers’ economies,” he added.
Through these initiatives, WWF-Indonesia aims to establish a long-term palm oil management strategy that ensures a balance between economic needs and environmental sustainability in Indonesia. (P2)
