Oilpalm (Elaeis guineensis) is a uniquely valuable palm as source of low-cost vegetableoil. However, the success and method of its expansion (monoculture plantation)especially in biodiversity-rich Indonesia and Malaysia have made it one of themost controversial crops of the world. One of the policy consequences of theboycotts and debate is the Renewable Energy Directive (RED) of Europeancountries that sets binding targets for the emission savings to be achievedwhen oils are used as feedstock of biofuel. Exporting countries such asIndonesia need to have reliable data on the carbon footprint of their product acrossproduction systems and the products’ lifecycle. Diversification of oil palm plantationsstarts to gain attention as a strategy to increase farmer resilience. The objectivesof this thesis were (1) to estimate the carbon footprint of palm oil productionin Indonesia when it is used as biofuel and express it as CO2 equivalent and emissions saving, and (2)to explore mixed oil palm systems as diversification strategy to increase farmerbenefit and to reduce the carbon footprint. Through a survey and sample collectionin more than 20 plantations distributed over Sumatra, Kalimantan and Sulawesi weanalysed the palm oil life cycle. Using the Biofuel Emission ReductionEstimator Scheme (BERES) emissions savings were differentiated by carbon debt(land use change and current practices. Process-based modelling using WaNuLCAS(Water, Nutrient and Light Capture in Agroforestry System) helped exploreintercropping systems beyond current practice. Results show that it is possibleto achieve the high emission savings target with palm oil to comply with theRED requirement. Of companies with ‘good agricultural practice’ 40% and 25% ofproduction can meet the 35% (2015) and 60% (2018) emissions savings standards,respectively. The larger the areas that were converted from high-C stockforest, the larger the fraction of peat, the larger the emissions fromfertilizers, transportation and processing (incl. methane) and the lower theyield of Fresh Fruit Bunches (FFB), in a mix of production situations that isaccounted for jointly (as is the case for ‘company’ level assessments), theharder it is to achieve emission savings. While fertilizer applicationincreases FFB yield, it also increases N2O emissions. Selected mixed oil palm systems can provideconsiderable economic and environmental system improvements. The LandEquivalent Ratio of mixed oil palm – cacao systems can be 1.4, showing asuperior way to achieve land sparing as a goal of efficient use of land,relative to monocultures for each commodity separately. Diversification shouldbe a valid counterpart of current intensification research and policies to helpmake palm oil more sustainable from both social and environmental perspectives. |
