SUVANNABHUMI (수완나부미)

Korea Institute for ASEAN Studies (부산외대 아세안연구원)
권호 표지

Questioning the Legitimation of Indonesian Sustainable Palm Oil Certification in Independent Smallholders Inside Company Concession Areas

  • Widyatmoko, Bondan (Research Centre for Regional Resources, Indonesia Institute of Sciences (P2SDR-LIPI))
  • Received : 2018.02.15
  • Accepted : 2018.06.08
  • Published : 2018.06.30
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Abstract

Only a few researchers highlighted the implementation of Indonesian Sustainable Palm Oil (ISPO) certification. These neglected the importance of analyzing the different trajectories of the relations of production in Indonesian palm oil development. As a result, there is a prevailing doubtful attitude on ISPO legitimation. This paper aims to identify how independent smallholder pilot projects give meaning to ISPO legitimation and implementation. It explores production relations in a smallholder community, focusing on land ownership, the formation of a cooperative, and response capability in cases of failure. This paper reveals that the project brought greater understanding to the community with regards to sustainability, as well as strengthened cooperation between the company and the cooperative. This, despite the community's confronting the same problems of land legality as other independent farmers, as the community is located inside the company concession (Hak Guna Usaha, HGU).

Keywords

Acknowledgement

I am grateful to Prof. Kosuke Mizuno (CSEAS, Kyoto University), Dr. Gianluca Bonanno (International Peace & Sustainability Organization) for their comments on earlier version of this paper. The research was supported by Indonesia Endowment Fund for Education (LPDP Indonesia).

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