Thirteenth International Conference on Interdisciplinary Social Sciences

Abstract

Massive expansion of oil palm in rural Indonesia has been a major phenomena for many years. It began in the 2000s, when many corporations and smallholders were expanding their plantation following the increasing price of palm oil in the world market. The oil palm plantation expansion has been considered to be very aggressive encroaching on forest lands and bringing about negative effects on deforestation, intensified carbon emission, and loss of biodiversity as well as giving rise to worsening water conditions. On the social-economics side, oil palm expansion has triggered dramatic social change in the form of livelihood transition, adaptive mechanism from diverse to single dependence on livelihood sources. The depth and width of social change caused by oil palm expansion are, however, determined by socio-cultural and technological as well institutions existing in the community. This paper elaborates on the typology of oil palm expansion and understanding the socio-economical impacts of oil palm expansion in rural regions. The expansion also causes livelihood stability, resilience, and vulnerability. The paper wants to come up with theory of agricultural expansion and to find out constructive policy solutions for oil palm expansion in Indonesia.