ETH Zurich, CIFOR, WWF, CARDS-IPB
2015-2021
http://www.opal-project.org/
Switzerland, Indonesia, Colombia, Cameroon

1. Indonesia is the largest palm oil production in the world  generates USD 25
billions per year from 17 millions hectares are under oil palm plantations 
massive expansion  issues of rural livelihood change and agrarian-landscape
changes.
2. Oil palm expansion into forest land  deforestation remains important issue in the
international debate & discussion  land policy
3. Traceability of FFB (Tandan Buah Segar) coming from forest land remains a critical
issues in Indonesia  subject to sharp debate internationally  value chain issues
4. Trade restriction on Indonesia Biodiesel from Palm Oil in EU  Renewable
Energy Directive II
5. Instrument of governance - ISPO (Indonesia Sustainable Palm Oil)  needs an
international recognition  governance issues

Provinces of Oil Palm and OPAL Research Location in
Indonesia

OIL PALM STIMULATED LANDSCAPE ECOLOGICAL
CHANGE IN INDONESIA

Biodiesel is produced for Domestic used only – B20
Policy  to be mixed with Fossil Diesel Fuel

Sustainable
Oil Palm
Production
Oil Palm
Organization
of Production
Landscape
Changes
Rural/Local
Livelihood
Land
Policy
Processes
Institutions
and Market
Land Use
and
Agrarian
Structure

End of program
outcome
Disciplinary
science (4 key
research themes)
Companion
Modeling
Active engagement
(through research)
Outputs:
Publications,
international jurnal
paper, policy brief,
blogs
Companion
Modeling
outputs
Using what
strategies?
Expected changes
among selected actors
involved in Companion
Modelling
Expected changes
among selected actors
involved in active
engagement
POLICY CHANGE

End of program
outcome
(SUSTAINABLE OIL
PALM
MANAGEMENT)
Disciplinary science (3 key
research themes):
1. Land-use and
livelihoods Changes
2. Governance issues and
landscapes changes
3. Inclusivity of
smallholders in palm oil
international market
Companion
Modeling, GIS,
Survey, FGD
Active engagement
(through research)
See Tor # 1, 2, 3
Outputs:
Publications,
international jurnal
paper, policy brief,
blogs
Companion
Modeling
outputs and
others
research
outputs
Using what
strategies?
Expected changes among
selected actors involved in
Companion Modelling
(SMALLHOLDERS, LOCAL
GOVERNMENTS, OIL PALM
COMPANY)
Expected changes among selected
actors involved in active engagement
(RESEARCHERS ARE ACTIVE IN THE
POLICY MAKING)
e.g., President Decree on ISPO; Anti
Corruption Commission
(RESEARCHERS ARE ACTIVE
DISSEMINATING NEW IDEAS VIA
NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL
PUBLICATIONS)

1. How significant is the influence of oil palm plantation
expansion driven by either smallholders or large scale companies in
the processes of agrarian changes (land-use, land-access, land-
rights) and livelihood strategies of smallholders?
2. What are the implications associated with the adoption of different
business and production models for oil palm production in the
organization of production and smallholder livelihood strategies
(e.g. plasma schemes, semi-independent and fully-independent)?
3. How vulnerable are the household social and economic systems,
across different types of smallholders, and resilient their livelihood
strategies to cope with external crisis or shocks?

1. To what extent the adoption of best management practices (e.g.
ISPO, RSPO) would narrow the gaps existing between the worse and
best management practices?
2. What is the influence of oil palm expansion in land use and land
cover change trajectories across different production systems
(smallholders vis-à-vis large-scale plantations)?
3. What are the impacts of different land use systems shaped by oil
palm expansion (from mono-crop plantations to more diverse forest-
agriculture mosaics) in the provision of ecosystem services,
HCV/HCS, as well as economic benefit?

1. What are the impacts of supply chain interventions, notably those
linked to zero-deforestation commitments, in the configuration and
functioning of palm oil supply chains?
2. What are the effects of market changes in excluding from or
integrating independent smallholders to the supply chain? What
the associated social and environmental costs?
3. How do processes of market fragmentation that place? What is the
role of independent mills in shaping the expansion of unregulated
small-scale oil palm plantations?
4. What policies and measures on the public and private sector could
facilitate the transition to a more sustainable and inclusive oil palm
development?

Name : Bayu Eka Yulian
Bachelor Program : Socio-Economic of Agriculture, Bogor Agricultural
University
Master Program : Social Anthropology, University of Indonesia
Ph.D. Program : Rural Sociology, Bogor Agricultural University
Research tittle : Oil Palm Expansion: Livelihood and Agrarian
Change in East Kalimantan, Indonesia
Novelty : The silent expansion of oil palm plantation
“For me... OPAL is not only course and research, but beyond that. I
hope Indonesia (especially Kutai Kartanegara, my birthplace) green
and sustainable”. Thanks OPAL!

Name : Rizka Amalia
Bachelor Program : Communication Sciences and Community
Development, Bogor Agricultural University
Master Program : Natural Resources and Environmental
Management, Bogor Agricultural University
Ph.D. Program : Rural Sociology, Bogor Agricultural University
Research tittle : Response of Palm Oil Plantation Governance on
Social-ecology System Change (Case Study In
East Kalimantan Province)
Novelty : Conspiracy of silence and defective governance

Name : Fakhrizal Nashr
Bachelor Program : Forest Product Technology, Bogor Agricultural University
Master Program : 1. Agriculture and Forestry, Swedish University of
Agricultural Sciences, Sweden.
2. European Forestry, Joensuu University, Finland
Ph.D. Program : Rural Planning, Bogor Agricultural University
Research tittle : Palm Oil Smallholder Business Economy Model in East
Kalimantan
Expected novelty : Siting Tools Scoring through ComMod, Strategy Access to
Finance for Smallholders in the supply chain.

Name : Faris Rahmadian
Bachelor Program : Communication Sciences and Community
Development, Bogor Agricultural University
Master Program : Rural Sociology, Bogor Agricultural University
Research tittle : Political Economy Analysis of Oil Palm Plantation
Expansion: Actors and Deteritoralization
Novelty : Dialectical deteritoralization

No. Name of Researcher Field of Engagement Target
01. Arya Hadi Dharmawan Expert Member in the Presidential
Decree on Indonesia Sustainable
Palm Oil (ISPO), since 2016 up to
currently.
Renewing
Governance System
of ISPO – directly
under the supervision
of President of
Indonesia.
02. Bayu EkaYulian Active member in the academic
discussions regarding the issues of
illegal expansion of oil palm in the
forum coordinated by Indonesia
Anti-Corruption Commission (2016
– now)
Stopping illegal oil
palm expansion that
is committed to
corruption.
03. Rizka Amalia Supporting member in the oil-palm
based bioenergy research (2015-
2016)
Sustainable biodiesel
in Indonesia

Discussion with Palm Oil (CPO/Biodiesel) Industries
Public Discussion with Smallholders on ISPO
BIOENERGY
(NEW)ISPO
CONSERVATION