A new trend in palm oil production in the context of changing global demands: a portrayal of oil palm development in Riau Province, Sumatra, Indonesia

• Widespread expansion of oil palm plantations by
independent growers, coupled with the emergence of
new private actors (operating within a land area of a
couple of hundred hectares) are clearly contributing to
transboundary environmental problems.
• Spontaneous frontier development has extended beyond
the Indonesian government’s control, and in many cases
these areas are being unsustainably managed, infringing
the principles of environmental conservation.
• Field observations revealed that oil palm expansion by
independent players, including smallholders, involves
massive land transfer. Local communities play an
important role facilitating the expansion of oil palm
plantations in these areas
• From the State’s perspective, independent oil palm
growers, who are mostly excluded in the official
data, should be seen as major actors in landscape
management.