The long-run sustainability of the Indonesian oil palm sector heavily depends on environmental quality management in smallholder-dominated landscapes. Although smallholders contribute significantly to national production, they often face persistent barriers to adopting sustainable practices, such as limited access to technology and fragmented environmental governance.+1
A recent study published in the journal Discover Environment (2026) by Hasmin, Darmawan Salman, Eymal B. Demmallino, Jumiaty Nurung, and Darhamsyah explores the behavioral readiness of these farmers. The research surveyed 250 independent smallholder farmers across East Kalimantan and Mamuju, West Sulawesi. It examined how they perceive four key environmental management instruments: digital transformation, green-economy practices, blue-economy utilization of biomass and residues, and ecosystem-based incentives.+3
Strong Support for Green and Blue Economies
The study findings indicate that farmers hold highly supportive perceptions of green and blue economy practices.+1
- Green Economy: Farmers expressed support for converting oil palm waste into bioenergy or organic inputs to help reduce pollution.
- Blue Economy: Farmers acknowledged the benefits of utilizing oil palm waste as fish feed, an approach that effectively links plantation areas with coastal and riverine systems.
The Crucial Role of Digital Access and Ecosystem Incentives
One of the most significant findings is the farmers’ high readiness for change when supported by clear objectives, training, and incentives. Based on a logistic regression analysis, several key factors drive this readiness:
- Access to Digital Technology: Farmers equipped with digital access were 2.3 times more likely to report a high readiness for change compared to those without it.
- Ecosystem-Based Incentives: Favorable perceptions of policies that compensate farmers for environmental protection increased the odds of high readiness by 1.9 times.+1
- Higher Education: An advanced educational background significantly boosted the likelihood of readiness, showing 1.6 times higher odds.
While perceptions of digital transformation—such as using platforms to record production—were positive, they were comparatively weaker than perceptions of the other instruments.+1
Policy Recommendations for a Sustainable Future
To bridge the gap between positive perceptions and concrete behavioral shifts, the researchers outline several practical priorities for local and national stakeholders:+1
- Community-Based Digital Training: Providing practical digital training that aligns with farmers’ daily routines and literacy levels.
- Strengthening Ecosystem Incentives: Expanding payment for ecosystem services to reward long-term stewardship rather than short-term compliance.
- Integrated Bio-Industry Models: Developing systems that utilize palm oil mill effluent (POME) and empty fruit bunches (EFB) for aquaculture or bioenergy.
- Digital and E-Governance Platforms: Utilizing digital platforms to improve traceability, transparency, and the monitoring of environmental performance.
Combining context-appropriate digital capacity building with credible incentive designs can significantly strengthen early-stage adoption pathways for sustainability-oriented practices in smallholder oil palm landscapes.
(Source: Hasmin et al., 2026. Digital inclusion and ecosystem-based incentives as predictors of smallholder readiness for sustainability-oriented change in Indonesian oil palm landscapes. Discover Environment ).
