We had the unique opportunity of experiencing the interior and integral regions of the Oil Palm plantations in the Sabah region of Malaysia. Due to their tedious working condition in the remote areas, workers in the oil palm plantations were usually accommodated deep inside the plantations. They were confined to the wooden longhouses or individual small houses as their residence of accommodation as they have no proper housing facilities for the laborers. They had to depend on rainwater for their daily consumption of potable water. Oil plantations workers were not able to travel to nearby smaller towns for food or basic amenities due to the lack of proper transportation facilities available due to which they were only able to leave according to their supervisors. Vegetables and leaves from the plantation were the only food sources available for their daily needs and were therefore very vulnerable to exploitation as well. On the contrary, the labor employed in the Oil Palm plantation for harvesting, cutting, spraying pruning, etc., were not a bunch of local workers but were foreign migrant workers from Indonesia and the Philippines. This observation had brought about a thought into our minds which then further manifested into three questions, Why is an increase in foreign labor than the locals present? Why aren't the local workers interested in this work? and, What is the genuine reason behind the influx of foreign workers? And these questions are the root cause behind this study conducted on Oil Palm plantation workers in Malaysia. During the later visits, it was found out that the migrant workers were in a state of 'statelessness', which meant that they were in a situation that rendered them obsolete of a citizenship right from any country. A majority of the foreign laborers were brought into Malaysia from the poverty-ridden areas of Indonesia and the Philippines, where there was a high rate of unemployment. Such people are called into the job by deceptive profiles and then illegally brought into the country where they're forced to stay in remote areas for work. This increased our urge to know about the Oil Palm plantations, and upon further research, it was revealed to us that a severe human right violation was happening in the area which included forced labor, child labor, gender discrimination, exploitive work practices and even sexual assaults on women. This claim has also been supported by the reports from Amnesty International. Such issues were widely noticed in smallholding Oil Palm plantations and the only research literature available was from NGOs and sources like the United States Department of Labor. So, we took an initiative to explore the various issues and research extensively in such areas, quantitative research had also been applied to identify the precarious working conditions. The objective of this research is to push forward the policymakers and the plantation management to bring about a change in the management and system in order to ensure better working and living conditions for the laborers. Dileep Kumar M. & Normala S. G.

This study comprises a review of oil palm development and management across landscapes in the tropics. Seven countries have been selected for detailed analysis using surveys of the current literature, mainly spanning the last fifteen years. Indonesia and Malaysia are the obvious leaders in terms of area planted and levels of production and export, but also in literature generated on social and environmental challenges. In Latin America, Colombia is the dominant producer with oil palm expanding in disparate landscapes with a strong focus on palm oil-based biodiesel; and small-scale growers and companies in Peru and Brazil offer contrasting ways of inserting oil palm into the Amazon. Nigeria and Cameroon represent African nations with traditional groves and old plantations in which foreign ‘land grabs’ to establish new oil palm have recently occurred.

Key messages This brief examines two contrasting policy options: the implementation of zero deforestation commitments by the private sector and a complete moratorium on the expansion of large-scale oil palm plantations, and compares them to a situation without policy action.The zero deforestation commitments and the moratorium on large-scale oil palm plantations expansion could reduce cumulative deforestation by 25% and 28%, respectively, compared to a situation without policy action. They could also cut greenhouse gas emissions from land use and land-use change by 13% and 16%, respectively, over the period 2010-2030.Even under the zero-deforestation and moratorium scenarios, Indonesia is projected to increase palm oil production between 124%-97% over 2010-2030, which is partly due to higher production originating from smallholders.Both measures - the zero deforestation commitments and a moratorium of future large-scale oil palm plantations expansion - would be especially beneficial to limit future deforestation in Indonesia in a context in which global demand for palm oil is expected to keep increasing.Foresight tools can equip stakeholders and policy makers with data and information to allow for evidence-based policy making. This will permit planning for reducing deforestation and greenhouse gas emissions, and finding options acceptable to all stakeholders involved.

This paper analyses the environmental, socioeconomic and cultural impacts of oil palm development in the Prafi Plain of Manokwari District in West Papua Province. This analysis is based on interviews and focus group discussions conducted in January-August 2011, a literature survey, and analysis of Landsat images of the region. The research findings indicate that oil palm cultivation brings significant benefits-such as infrastructure development, higher incomes for local stakeholders and broader opportunities for customary communities. However, the large number of immigrant workers brought in to work on the plantation estate are a source of conflict with the local population. Oil palm development has had adverse environmental impacts as it has resulted in the deforestation of about 60% of the Prafi watershed. It has also caused soil erosion, poor water quality and air pollution. To avoid additional adverse impacts, the development and expansion of oil palm estates should focus on replanting old plantation areas with high-yield varieties and planting on non-forested and degraded land. Special land zones should be set aside for the indigenous Arfak people to use for subsistence farming. Additional efforts should be made to ensure that local communities receive proper compensation for the loss of use of their traditional lands. Increasing transparency in land allocation, stricter supervision of plantation operations and sanctions for non-compliance with sustainability standards are of utmost importance.

Palm oil production has increased rapidly over the past two decades in response to rising demand for its use in food, energy, and industrial applications. Expansion of oil palm plantations presents a dilemma, as they can displace forests and peatlands, leading to biodiversity losses and increased greenhouse gas emissions. Although projections show that expansion of oil palm area will slow with faster yield growth, important concerns remain that will require careful attention from policymakers.