Securing oil palm smallholder livelihoods without more deforestation in Indonesia

Facing criticism that Indonesia’s oil palm industry causes deforestation, government and industry representatives have highlighted the role of oil palm in improving the livelihoods of millions of oil palm smallholders, reducing poverty and meeting its Sustainable Development Goals. This line of argument conjures a moral dilemma that pits forest conservation against peoples’ well-being. It overlooks a crucial fact: Indonesia’s government policies favour plantation corporations, and smallholders struggle to access the land and other resources they need to prosper. More robust support for independent smallholders who grow oil palm on their own land could secure rural livelihoods without increasing forest loss.