Dissection of social interaction and community engagement of smallholder oil palm in reducing conflict using soft system methodology
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
Open Agriculture 2022; 7: 267–283
Research Article
Herdis Herdiansyah*
Dissection of social interaction and community
engagement of smallholder oil palm in reducing
conflict using soft system methodology
https://doi.org/10.1515/opag-2022-0091 Keywords: community engagement, social interaction,
received November 29, 2020; accepted April 5, 2022 smallholder plantation, oil palm
Abstract: Many impacts occur due to oil palm cultivation.
One of them is a conflict that occurred in some regions,
especially in Jambi Province in Indonesia. Most of the
conflicts that occurred are related to natural resources. 1 Introduction
Disputes can be more complicated when there is any part
of the land belongs to the government. Commonly, 30% Oil palm cultivation activities have both positive and
of the plantations is owned by plasma land, while the negative impacts. Positive impacts include an increase
remaining 70% is owned by nucleus land. Conflicts occ- in the country’s economy and employee welfare [1,2].
urred due to the smallholders’ position, which is a weak The negative impacts include GHG production, emis-
party in land tenure. The smallholders’ low income was sions, loss of forest services, loss of biodiversity, and
partly due to the high price of fertilizers, the toke’s (mid- social conflicts [3–6].
dleman) low price, and related transportation problems. Agrarian conflicts occur every year, where 35% of
Differences in individual perceptions are also one of them are conflicts in the plantation sector, and as many
the conflicts that occur. The purpose of this study was as 60% are conflicts related to oil palm plantations [7].
to understand more deeply the conflict between small- In agricultural activities, social conflicts often appear
holders, especially independent smallholders, and the between smallholders (including companies) and the
company oil palm that occurred. By using soft system community [8]. Conflict occurs because of different inter-
method-based action research, real-world primary data pretations between the two parties on the events that
were collected through in-depth interviews with stake- occurred. They give different meanings; in this case, the
holders (local government, smallholders, companies, and interpretation is based on beliefs, values, and experi-
NGO activists) in Jambi. This article found that this system ences [9]. Mastery of natural resources and economic
is also implemented in oil palm plantations in Indonesia. interests versus environmental interests is accused of
Independent smallholder oil palms also consider that com- being the trigger for conflict [10].
munity engagement should be involved as a learning effort. One of the social impacts that occur in communities
Therefore, social interaction and community involvement, related to plantations is the possibility of land conflicts
through approaches with the government, companies, and theft of customary forests [6,11]. Soils are susceptible
and oil palm planters in forms of social interaction and to fragmentation, expropriation, land loss, and scarcity of
training, need to be applied to minimize oil palm con- young smallholders [10]. Another cause of land conflicts
flicts. It is suggested that further research can provide is the expropriation of land belonging to smallholders by
a study, explanation, and implementation of existing large companies. Land conflicts can also occur due to the
policies so that the obligations and rights of smallholder use of customary forests. Customary forests are usually
oil palms and plantation companies do not cause oil managed and utilized by local communities as a source of
palm conflicts. community livelihoods and biodiversity. Forests that are
open to oil palm cultivation can reduce biodiversity [4].
One of the functions of customary forests is as a source of
* Corresponding author: Herdis Herdiansyah, School of
medicinal plants used by the community. Disruption
Environmental Science, Universitas Indonesia, Jakarta, DKI Jakarta, of forest functions, in this case, will affect the scarcity
Indonesia, e-mail: herdis@ui.ac.id of medicinal plants so that people will find it difficult to
Open Access. © 2022 Herdis Herdiansyah, published by De Gruyter. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0
International License.
268 Herdis Herdiansyah
obtain that plant. Oil palm cultivation is also the cause of The large number of victims resulting from these conflicts
the loss of environmental services such as carbon and is evidence that conflict management should be improved.
water storage [12]. Various parties involved in Indonesia’s land conflict
Most oil palm plantations use a monoculture system. are the government, company, NGO, and local commu-
This system may present several problems in the future. nity. The government involvement, in this case, includes
As mentioned earlier, the monoculture of oil palm plan- the national level government until the village govern-
tations causes biodiversity loss [13], namely, the conver- ment, such as National Land Agency (BPN), Province
sion of land from diverse forests to oil palm plantations. Plantation Agency, Province Forest Agency, Regency Admi-
This monoculture can result in restrictions on local com- nistration, Regency Government, and Village Government
munities’ use of resources [14] and lead to conflicts. Many [22]. These parties are those who have authority in the
local people depend on the forest for their livelihoods. land policy in Indonesia, including NGO activists, such
They depend on food, medicine, and environmental as WALHI and LBH [23]. Parties such as village leaders,
quality. When a conversion occurs, local people have oil palm farmers, and local communities are those who
lost these forest functions. are directly in conflict with the company [24]. Interac-
The conflicts occur mostly related to natural resources, tion between each actor includes the self-interest of
including loss of livelihoods, access to natural resources, each actor, normative role orientation, identity, interac-
ownership of resources, environmental degradation, environ- tion orientation, culture, knowledge, policy, power, and
mental impacts, violations of human rights [15], lack of structural interaction organization [24–26]. Those fac-
consultation, displacement of people location, restrictions tors in interaction with each actor will affect the conflict
on access, and disruption to community sources of live- resolution.
lihoods [16,17], and lack of consultation, broken promises, There are phases of the industrial plantation planting
and lack of compensation are also causes of conflict conflict, including (1) plantation arrangement, (2) initial
[18]. Conflict may also occur due to intimidation and vio- protests, (3) conflict, and (4) conflict resolution [14]. The
lations or restrictions on activities and access to natural conflict phase is described in Figure 1 [27]; however, if the
resources [19]. conflict becomes violent, the conflict will be prolonged
About 30% of conflicts between the local community and impact each actor.
and companies in Indonesia are land conflicts [14]. Many Jambi is one of Indonesia’s provinces with a planta-
land conflicts occur in Central Java, Kalimantan, and tion area of around 1,070,723 ha [28]. This area places
Sumatra. Some conflicts are demonstrations demanding Jambi as the 4th largest province on Sumatra Island after
the return of smallholder oil palms’ rights. From these South Sumatra [28]. About 60% of the total area consists
data, 40% of demonstrations are caused by local elites of plantations that are smallholder oil palm plantations.
who are superior in terms of negotiations. The impacts The economic structure of Jambi province still depends
that arise as a result of this kind of conflict are violence, on plantation products, especially oil palm plantations,
intimidation, material and time losses by both parties, which are the mainstay of the Jambi region.
disruption of daily activities or work and production, The large number of small farmers in Jambi is one of
and even death [11]. Conflict is divided into two levels, the impacts of transmigration conducted by the Govern-
namely, high and medium conflict. High conflict causes ment of Indonesia [29]. The transmigration policy also
physical violence to one party or even both, while medium encourages a plasma program, namely, cooperation
conflict involves intimidation and activity restrictions. between the government and smallholders, which aims
There were at least 663 ongoing conflicts over oil to manage oil palm plantations [29,30]. The expansion of
palm plantations and 8,959 land dispute cases occurred plantation development and mill activities will reduce the
in 2010 [20]. As many as 55% of them are conflicts forest area [31], increased environmental temperature [32],
between communities, 15% are cases of disputes between and social injustice to local communities and indigenous
communities and legal entities, 0.1% are conflicts between peoples [33].
legal entities, and 27% are conflicts between the commu- Walhi Jambi discovered that at least 43 conflicts,
nity and the government. It was reported that land con- including disputes over oil palm plantations, occurred
flicts in Indonesia had caused many victims. A total of 55 in Jambi [34,35]. As of 2018, Indonesia has 144 agrarian
people were killed, 75 people were shot, 757 people conflicts in the plantation sector [36]. Total agrarian con-
experienced persecution, and 1,298 people experienced flicts in oil palm plantations, including those related to
discrimination due to defending their land rights [21]. land conflicts, fluctuated in 2011–2014 [36]. This shows
Social interaction and community engagement of smallholder oil palm 269
Figure 1: Phases of violent conflict [27].
that the land conflicts between the company and the suitable or efficient way or method to achieve the prede-
community have not been entirely resolved. Therefore, termined goals.
this study tries to find the root causes of the conflict so The system categorizes human problems into two
that Jambi conflicts in particular and Indonesia generally categories – visible problems (expressed) and problems
do not recur. that are not visible (implied). Problems that appear real
and can be formulated using a clear and structured
method are called hard problems. This characteristic pro-
blem uses HSM. The HSM system includes a clear and
2 Theoretical framework unambiguous system that indicates that there is no dif-
ference of opinion regarding the issue. HSM is usually
2.1 Definition of soft system methodology used to deal with physical environmental problems,
namely, problems that do not change [40]. The unrea-
Conflicts arise because of incompatible interactions, dif- listic problems with unclear and unstructured methods
ferences in perceptions, or differences in views of two or are called soft problems. In this case, SSM is used as the
more individuals, organizations, and stakeholders [37]. solution method [40]. There are differences in the per-
However, there are more than one interactions, views, spective of the problems on the SSM of each party where
and backgrounds that cause conflict to become a complex organizational problems are more suitable to be resolved
problem that needs to be resolved when viewed from a using the SSM method rather than HSM. HSM and SSM
system perspective. The system is a concept created to have several differences, as presented in Table 1.
facilitate understanding of something. Phenomena that Since the HSM method cannot solve complex pro-
exist in the world can be described as a part that cannot blems, the development of the SSM method is crucial.
be broken down into different parts; this perspective is Problems that are not clear as to which party caused it
well known as system thinking [38]. System thinking and the inability to determine objectives can be resolved
leads to the thinking of real social systems that exist by using the SSM method. The SSM method is also com-
globally, while the assumption of social construction in monly used to determine problems whose variables are
the world is systemic. The thinking system is a dynamic not clearly known. SSM does not limit certain variables
system; this system studies phenomena in the real world but it identifies variables related to the system as many as
by forming a model for conducting an intervention [39]. possible to complete the information obtained. From
Research involves three elements, namely, (1) ideas that these variables, a simplification will be made to make
are connected into a framework, (2) application of ideas the model easier. SSM is used to define the problem
in methodology, and (3) application of methodology [40]. clearly so that decisions can be taken and describe the
Checkland introduced research methods such as HSM actors involved to reveal relevant objectives for each sta-
and soft system method (SSM) [40]. This methodology keholder [41]. Therefore, the method used in this research
is also called intervention, which identifies the problem was SSM. Problems that have not been clearly delineated
and draws the final solution to achieve the desired con- require extra effort in their exploration. In-depth inter-
dition. The challenge faced in this research is finding a views were carried out to find the problems that occur.270 Herdis Herdiansyah
Table 1: Traditions of hard systems thinking (1950s–1960s) and soft systems thinking (1980s–1990s) [40]
The hard systems thinking The soft systems thinking
Dedicated to achieving goals The educational system is the system’s focal point
Tends to assume the world comprises a “engineered” System models can help to understand the world’s complexity
system
Presumes modeling methods are world representations Intellectual constructions are employed to generate assumptions about
the world’s systems
Used the term “issue” and “solution” interchangeably Used the terms “issue” and “accommodations” interchangeably
The strengths The strengths
Highly effective approaches allow being used Stakeholders who are experiencing problems as well as professional
practitioners have access to it
Retaining a humane demeanor when confronted with difficult situations
The weakness The weakness
Skilled experts may be required It does not provide conclusive solutions
It is possible to lose sight of things that aren’t directly Accepts the incessant inquiry
related to the topic at hand
This process aims to obtain formation from relevant the real world so that solutions to the problems can be
sources. found [43]. The search for goals using models is obtained
SSM is a method of comparison between the real- from human behavior that comes from perception. This
world situation and the system relevant to achieve pre- model represents the embodiment of the views of the
determined goals [42]. Comparison of the model against parties related to the perceptions of each party.
the situation will result in according to research ques- SSM can be used to solve problems, including energy
tions that meet systematically desirable and culturally efficiency [41], climate science [44], technology [45],
appropriate criteria. There are several stages in SSM. environmental [46], social or human [47,48]. Hardjosoe-
From these stages, a description or a model of the pro- karto has made the application of SSM in the social devel-
blem that occurs will be produced. Figure 2 describes that opment index [48]. His research was carried out by using
the resulting model must match the model that occurs in action research based on SSM. SSM is used to achieve the
Figure 2: Soft system method is described in the form of a seven-stage model [43].Social interaction and community engagement of smallholder oil palm 271
goals of overcoming social complexities in the social more difficult. Through the SSM stages, Hersh stated
development. This research was related to the engage- that researchers must avoid being depicted as the real
ment of the informal merchant sector. The analysis of world to resolve conflicts at the conceptual modeling
research is carried out not only through social analysis stage [49]. It requires crucial information such as the
but also through cultural and social processes to promote conflicting parties’ processes and power relations, out-
informal traders. side interference, or the possibility of other personal
SSM is often used to resolve conflicts. Hersh used the interests.
SSM method for conflict resolution [49]. Hersh stated that
conflicts between two parties are sometimes difficult to
determine which party is right and wrong because con-
flicts occur in different perceptions of polarized events 3 Method
[49]. Individuals will tend to view conflict subjectively,
where one party with another party has a different view This research was conducted in Jambi Province. Of eight
regarding the conflict’s causes. Conflicts occur because subdistricts and cities in the province, only six districts
of the distrust, misunderstanding, and hatred of both have oil palm plantations (Figure 3). The method used in
parties. The long-running conflict makes resolving it this research was qualitative, namely, by interviewing
Figure 3: Research location.272 Herdis Herdiansyah
various parties involved in oil palm conflicts, including
A list of actions that can be taken
Finding out the problem situation
Suitability of the model with the
elements of local government, companies, smallholders,
Improvement of the problem
and nongovernmental organizations. Key informants
to improve the situation
consisted of two informants from two different compa-
nies who were in conflict with the community, two oil
Structure problem
Model of system
palm community smallholders, one representative from
Root definition
the local government, and one person from an NGO who
Rich picture
real world
situation
helped mediate conflicts between smallholders and com-
Output
panies. Interviews were conducted directly to find solu-
tions to solve oil palm plantation conflicts.
The nature of the conflict in this study is complex and
Summarize the analysis
direct, and the researcher chose the soft system method
Unstructured problem
Model and real world
Real-world situation
(SSM) to understand the conflict as a whole. There are
Data processing
several reasons why SSM was chosen to be used in this
from steps 1–5
Root definition
List of actions
study. The causes include the obscurity and complexity
situation
of conflict problems that cannot be resolved by the
CATWOE
methods used. This method changes the goals to be
achieved; unstructured problems will be transformed
into structured problems. Complex problems become simple
without reducing the related variables and by under-
Study literature
Data collection
Deep interview
Interview and
Interview and
Interview and
Interview and
Interview and
standing the problems associated with its obscurity.
Observation
Observation
discussion
discussion
discussion
discussion
discussion
SSM is not a tool to produce technical solutions but
emphasizes how to facilitate in problem solving [40].
This method is more about understanding the problems
that occur rather than solutions. Unlike other methods,
Researchers compare the models that have been made
with the real world, whether the model is following the
Researchers evaluate the models that have been made
Table 2: Summary of soft system method (SSM) relates to data collection, analysis, and output
Researchers formulate a root definition that refers to
The researcher structured the conflicts that occurred
Researchers gather as much information that can be
this study uses the SSM method, and researchers should
the question of what, how, and why conflicts occur
Researchers develop a model based on CATWOE
be active, instead of passive. Researchers do not only
provide opinions but also should involve in investigations
or research, as well as in problem solving. Researchers are
Researchers take action to fix conflict
not outsiders but are part of the solution or one of the main
actors who change conflict, namely, problem solving. The
researcher should carry out seven stages of action to solve
the conflict (Table 2). Each stage should be done one after
the other.
Furthermore, it is necessary to explore situations
that occur in the real world for research using SSM. In
Description
this study, the real world’s problem is the conflict that
real world
occurred in Jambi between the oil palm company and the
found
surrounding community. To understand the problems
that occur, researchers conducted interviews with the
Root definition (RD) of the relevant
Systematically desirable culturally
related parties. The researcher made a theoretical frame-
Situation considered problematic
Action to improve the problem
Comparison of model and real
Conceptual model of a system
work before conducting interviews. This theoretical fra-
Problem situation expressed
described in root definition
mework is used as the basis for implementing stage 1 and
stage 2 in SSM. It aims to make sure that the discussion is
constructed based on the theoretical framework [40].
In the analysis phase, several things such as identi-
fying essential characteristics determine how much the
SSM steps
situation
analysis limits will be used and identifying whom policy-
feasible
system
world
makers need to understand the actions that can be taken.
Given many actors, perspectives, and unstructured pro-
No
blem conditions, problem-solving method (PSM) is thus
6
4
2
3
7
5
1Social interaction and community engagement of smallholder oil palm 273
needed [50] to make complex decisions. The most impor- companies to resolve and prevent conflicts related to
tant thing in the preparation of this PSM is its facilities land, both of which are important to understand. Land
and arrangement. An important SSM concept is moni- conflicts that occur are caused by ambiguity or overlap-
toring and control. ping regulations [52]. Clearing land for oil palm must go
through several formal procedures, namely, applying for
permits from the government to carry out cultivation
businesses. Through the decentralization process, the
4 Result and discussion local governments can handle licensing authority. An
easy-to-pass land clearing procedure makes it easier to
clear land for oil palm. However, it complicates the con-
4.1 Stage 1: Understanding the problem
flicts between local communities and companies. Even
situation though there is decentralization, solidarity in granting
oil palm cultivation permits to minimize conflicts is also
The plantation subsector has a vital role in the economy necessary. In summary, the land conflicts between the
where 10.97% contributes to the national gross domestic company and the local community are complicated because
product (GDP) [51]. Oil palm plantations in Indonesia are of the legal permit proposed by the company. Unfortu-
generally run under a partnership system. The partner- nately, local communities do not have evidence that
ship system is carried out using a system of handing over they have rights to the conflict land. In this type, the
land to the company. It will be then managed by the com- conflict does not merely happen between the company
pany based on an agreement between the company and the and the local community, but does happen between the
community. The agreement, in this case, stated the owner- local community and the company, which is supported
ship, location, and land area boundaries. This statement is by legal evidence from the government.
in accordance with the source who stated the following: A study was conducted on land conflicts in Jambi
related to the conflict between one of the oil palm planta-
“The partnership land system is carried out with the provision
of the community that gives 1,000 ha of land area in the agree- tion companies and the surrounding community. This
ment between the company and the community under the con- conflict has been going on for 7 years; however, there
sideration that the company has the capital, while the commu- has been no solution obtained until 2020. The conflict
nity has the land, as an initial agreement between plasma land has even spread to WALHI and companies that receive
nucleus lands. Sidomujo village handles more than 1,000 ha of
oil palm plantations.
the land area, meaning that 300 ha of which is the plasma land.
Meanwhile, 700 ha of nucleus land are fully managed by the
The environmental problems caused by several com-
company, including equipment, maintenance, and harvesting.” panies occurred around 2017–2018. These happened due
(M, 34 years, Company B). to activities carried out by several companies, which pol-
lute the rivers surrounding. Another cause of conflict is
The agreement between the company and the local com- differences in the perceptions of individuals. Revenue
munity is made in a written form, accompanied by the from oil palm depends on the perception of the number
authorities, such as customary leaders, subdistrict heads, of ecosystem services and the impact of present and
regents, and the forestry offices. The land acquisition future expansion [12]. If the community feels no eco-
process is carried out legally by the company by fulfilling system services, then this will lead to conflict.
the Business Use Rights (HGU) to prevent mistakes or This conflict was resolved through mediation in sev-
things that are bordered by community lands or people’s eral stages with community leaders, youth and affected
inherited lands. This statement is based on the narrative communities, and the company. The mediation resulted
of one of the following sources: in a build around 2–3 points water well related to water
“The first process of land acquisition is the legality from Drinking Water Company (PAM). That is in accor-
process, which in this case is HGU, the company has dance with the source’s statement as follows:
fulfilled the HGU. then, based on a limited meeting, the
land acquisition will be carried out, so that there is no “Yes, mediation has been conducted several times, I am not
mistake or border with the residents’ land or land inher- sure how many times, I was involved a lot. the results of med-
iation were to drill well which flowed to the houses. there was
ited by residents” (R, 32 years old, Company A)
one point well for RT 05 and RT 09, and 1 point too in the other
The partnership system and the land legality process area, there were few points around the area that affected it.”
become the basis for conflicts between smallholders and (H, 25 years old, smallholder oil palm in Sukadamai).274 Herdis Herdiansyah
Another condition that triggers conflicts among plan- nurseries and plantation management. It is necessary to
ters, companies, and the government is the high price of do, so that smallholder’s oil palm understands the pro-
fertilizer, which is not affordable for the farmers, as well blems related to oil palm plantations and do not experi-
as the low price offered by toke. Toke is a middleman, or ence stock problems or other conflicts. This statement
parties, who buy products from farmers and sell them to was supported by sources as follows:
other parties, including processing factories, through
licensed parties. This terminology is sometimes negative “What I expect as a smallholder, from the company, the village
government, and related parties in the stakeholders is a good
because it creates less controllable prices. Those pro-
cooperation and good communication, as well as an institu-
blems were complained of by independent smallholders tions that provides education to smallholders as many small-
of oil palm in Sukadamai. Toke’s determination of oil holders do not understand good management of oil palm
palm price was deemed inappropriate because many of planting. Therefore, it is necessary to set up the institution
the deductions were caused by other costs imposed on for that purpose… This will provide information we need as
the community here. It is useful for us to understand conflict
the landowner. In addition, transportation is also a pro-
resolution… Smallholders empowerment is also essential.
blem for smallholder oil palm in Sukadamai. This state-
Institutional management and community awareness will
ment is supported by the source statement as follows: have a positive impact for us.” (H, 25 years old, smallholder
oil palm in Sukadamai).
“If we can afford the toke because of its expensive price, what
can we do then? We understand the problem must be that there
are other costs when we sell the palm fruit, so the price does
not match… like it or not, the price will definitely be cheaper,
and the only solution is to sell it to the toke… the problem is
that we do not have vehicles for transportation.” 4.2 Stage 2: Disclosure of the problem
(K, 25 years old, a smallholder of oil palm in Sukadamai). situation
Dealing with this issue, it can be seen that there are con- Regarding the management of oil palm plantations, the
ditions of the social and economic gap in local commu- community is generally involved by considering several
nities, which can be a trigger for conflict between local qualifications. The process of selecting people to partici-
communities and companies. This is also supported by pate is carried out under procedures and selected according
the condition; smallholders do not feel that government to company needs. In addition to the company’s small-
intervention has provided the assistance for them. Our holders, there are independent oil palm smallholders who
interview results showed that the smallholder oil palm own the land and work privately for 5–7 years. The average
does not feel that government interference has had much land owned by oil palm smallholders is 1–3 ha to be man-
impact on them because they still have difficulty accessing aged alone or jointly with their families.
information related to fertilizer subsidies. Most conflicts between companies and smallholders
Smallholders expect government intervention through occur due to land boundary disputes, illegal acts, and
engagement to reduce land conflicts. Regulation of the lack of socialization [53]. Land boundary disputes are
Minister of Agriculture, Number 18 of 2016 concerning related to agreements made before plantation produc-
Guidelines for Rejuvenation of Oil Palm Plantations tion, i.e., when one of the parties does not fulfill their
Chapter III, contains Smallholder Institutions’ Develop- obligations under the agreement (Figure 4). Land con-
ment, and Regulation of the President (PERPRES) Number flicts are the most common agricultural conflicts between
44 of 2020 concerning Indonesia’s Sustainable Oil Palm companies and smallholders. Land conflicts occur when
Plantation Certification System, and Regulation of the farmers feel pressured and have no other choice but to
Minister of Agriculture, Number 38 of 2020 concerning sell their land to the company. The purchase of land by
Implementation of Indonesian Sustainable Palm Oil Plan- companies from the community not only provides eco-
tation Certification. The regulation states that smallholder nomic benefits but also creates several problems. Not all
needs the training to implement the Rapid Rural Appraisal costs involved in purchasing land are included in a
(RRA) and Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA). The written agreement; there is also deception and poor
expected goal is an opportunity to solve problems faced demarcation [54]. Small farmers are weak in terms of
by smallholders. capacity, power, and land tenure.
Moreover, independent smallholder oil palm feels In the process of conflict resolution, mediation and
that engagement needs to be done as learning for them. negotiation can resolve the conflict. However, the method
Engagement efforts can be made through training in does not prevent the conflicts from occurring again. InSocial interaction and community engagement of smallholder oil palm 275
Figure 4: Rich picture.
the end, a similar pattern will always occur. The empow- and the company is a company that the company has
erment communities and social interactions in mediation obtained a business license for oil palm cultivation. Con-
and negotiation do not yet have the power to transform flict is caused by differences in the parties’ perceptions
each stakeholder’s perspective, culture, and view, so that of the situation [57]. The problem is that the conflict is
each stakeholder can work together and harmoniously. very complex and unstructured. Thus, more participation
Thus, some activities, programs, or policies are needed from all parties is required if there are differences in eco-
to transform that condition, especially to transform a nomic opinion, access to information, behavior, or con-
balanced capacity and power between the company flict behavior between the two parties [10].
and the local community. The lack of communication between the government,
companies, and smallholders has emerged the conflict.
Besides, the knowledge and understanding of small-
4.3 Stage 3: Root definition of relevant holders on the process of oil palm plantations and the
situations oil palm industry results in smallholders’ insufficient
strength to defend their rights in their interactions with
Stage 3 is undertaken by making RD based on a rich other stakeholders. Therefore, programs to prevent and
picture in stage two. Root definitions are prepared using resolve conflicts are one of the ways to improve communi-
the PQR formula according to Checkland and Poulter cation among the company, government, and smallholders,
as follows: The PQR formula: do P, by Q, to help achieve as well as increase the knowledge and understanding of
R. [55]. PQR does not stand alone but has a special smallholders in the oil palm management process. Thus,
meaning [55]. the root definition of this problem is that the system
Based on the results of stage 1 and 2 analyses, it can owned and operated by the government is need to
be concluded that a program focusing on smallholder oil improve the quality of smallholder oil palms (P) through
palms is needed to prevent and resolve conflicts. With the social interaction and community engagement (Q) so
help of each actor, this program can be realized by the that the smallholders understand the management of
government, plantation cooperatives, companies, and oil palm plantations ®. Root definition is controlled by
community leaders. The potential for increased oil palm using CATWOE analysis shown in Table 3.
allows for an increase in the conflict [56]. The initial Smallholders, companies, and the government are sta-
phase of the conflict between the local communities keholders who are interconnected or mutually dependent.276 Herdis Herdiansyah
Therefore, every decision and process carried out by the the community and the company, mutually beneficial rela-
three stakeholders can cause conflict among stakeholders. tionships, and minimize conflicts [64]. Companies give
Ganson stated that conflict cannot be resolved without the CSR to society as a form of corporate responsibility.
involvement of all stakeholders [58]. Communities have
different levels of conflict vulnerability depending on the
extent to which they depend on the natural environment
for their livelihoods [59] about natural resources and eco- 4.4 Stage 4: Conceptual model
system services. The key to understanding and resolving a
conflict is by determining its causes, which can lie in the The conceptual model is formed by considering the com-
information provided or in excess of resources, relation- plexity of the real world through the interaction of several
ships, interests, structures, and values. This form of under- different aspects [65]. The conceptual model formed in
standing can be done through community involvement the RD 1 system was in accordance with the Regulation
to attract and involve community opinion and participa- of the Minister of Agriculture No. 18 years 2016. It will be
tion, which is not only in the communication process in realized with the support of systems thinking that forms a
mediation or conflict negotiations but also by proactive conceptual model, as shown in Figure 5.
involvement or collaboration in the process of achieving The conceptual model produced in stage 4 of this
common understanding and decisions [37,60,61]. One of research is formed through several considered aspects.
the collaborative activities can be carried out in training Efforts to reduce conflicts begin with social interaction
since training is a form of communication and interac- and community engagement through approaches among
tion between stakeholders [62]. Conflict management is the government, companies, and smallholder oil palms as
also included in increasing competence, motivation, a form of social interaction and training, as stated in the
knowledge, and skills constructively and continuously Minister of Agriculture Regulation No. 18 of 2016 con-
[63]. Smallholders’ position is still considered weak cerning Guidelines for the Rejuvenation of Oil palm
among oil palm plantation stakeholders and it makes Plantations in Chapter III, namely, the development of
smallholders as the subject of the program. smallholder institutions as an engagement effort. Both
In production efforts, the company is responsible for of these efforts are believed to be able to reduce conflicts
minimizing the risks of the surrounding community’s because these efforts can build interactions between
safety problems and environmental impacts. Companies each actor. Furthermore, palm oil smallholders will be
can increase social acceptance while minimizing the risk supported by the government through the knowledge on
of conflict. Social acceptance is used in the formulation of the management of oil palm plantations. Through this
strategies to foster sustainable oil palm. One of the efforts effort, hopefully, conflicts will be gradually decreased
that can be made to increase social acceptance is to carry and the quality of smallholder palm oil will improve.
out a CSR program. The CSR program also has the func- The need for research, explanation, and implementa-
tion to increase company activities and minimize social tion has a correlation to policies. Therefore, the obliga-
conflict [56]. CSR can strengthen the relationship between tions and rights between smallholders of oil palms and
Table 3: CATWOE analysis
System analysis
C Beneficiary: smallholder oil palm
A Government, plantation cooperatives, companies, community leaders
T Conducting community empowerment through social interaction as an effort to activate training in oil palm plantation management
so that it is not being carried out → to be carried out in accordance with the Regulation of the Minister of Agriculture of the Republic
of Indonesia No. 18 of 2016 concerning Guidelines for the Rejuvenation of Oil Palm Plantations in Chapter III, namely, the
institutional development of smallholders.
W Social interaction and community involvement related to oil palm plantation management are considered necessary as an effort to
reduce oil palm plantation conflicts. Basically, this is in accordance with the objectives of the Regulation of the Minister of
Agriculture of the Republic of Indonesia No. 18 of 2016 concerning Guidelines for the Rejuvenation of Oil palm Plantations in
Chapter III, namely, the institutional development of smallholders. The training that is required by the planters includes socio-
economic conditions, potential, institutions, life needs, problems, and smallholders’ hopes for the future.
O Plantation and Plantation Company Office of Jambi Province
E Oil palm plantation conflicts due to company activitiesSocial interaction and community engagement of smallholder oil palm 277
1. Compile a review team for the 2. Reviewing the Minister of 3. Carry out training in
Minister of Agriculture Agriculture Regulation No. accordance with the Minister
Regulation No. 18 of 2016 18 of 2016 concerning of Agriculture Regulation No.
concerning Guidelines for the Guidelines for the 18 of 2016 concerning
Rejuvenation of Palm oil Rejuvenation of Palm oil Guidelines for the
Plantations in Chapter III, Plantations in Chapter III, Rejuvenation of Palm oil
namely the institutional namely the institutional Plantations in Chapter III
development of smallholders development of smallholders
6. Improve the quality of palm oil
smallholders through training 5. Providing field schools as an 4. Considering the aspirations of
with the guidelines for effort to empower communities to smallholder palm oil as a social
Rejuvenating Palm oil Plantations reduce palm oil conflicts interaction
in Chapter III in order to reduce
Monitoring 1-6 Doing control over actions
Specifies the 3E
criteria
Figure 5: Conceptual model based on RD 1.
plantation companies do not lead to oil palm conflicts. management model must be carried out not only by com-
This is supported by those who stated that the existence panies or the government but also by all stakeholders.
of actor contestation, inconsistencies in regulations, and Therefore, local community involvement in the govern-
changes in society’s social structure are part of the factors ment and companies’ collaborative programs is an impor-
that lead to conflict trends [66]. tant factor in realizing conflict management. Based on the
data in Table 4, actions that can be taken to realize the
conflict management process based on RD1 are presented
in Table 5.
4.5 Stage 5: Comparison between the
conceptual model and the real world
The comparison undertaken at this stage is intended to 4.6 Stages 6 and 7: The desired model
reflect the conceptual model’s activities to formulate con- change and action to improve
cepts. The comparison of the conceptual model and the
real world is presented in Table 4. After conducting the comparison between the conceptual
Table 4 shows that no action has been taken regarding model and the real world in the previous stage, at stage 6,
the proposed model of the RD1 process in resolving the oil the desired changes are defined. The desired transforma-
palm plantation conflict problem. The five model activities tions are presented in Table 5.
formulated in actual conditions are only the process of Conflict is part of the social sector. If the conflict is
training activities that are carried out but have not been protracted, the social sector of oil palm activities cannot
yet completed. Therefore, efforts and support are still run well. This conflict will affect production activities and
needed to realize that the conflict management model cause a decrease in the number of products, which will
can be implemented. The implementation of the conflict harm both the company and the community due to a lack278
Table 4: Comparison of the conceptual model with the real world
No Activities The position How? Who? Alternative?
1 Compiling a review team for the Minister of It has not been Scientific meetings and studies Plantation Office in Intensive collaboration between the Ministry of
Herdis Herdiansyah
Agriculture Regulation No. 18 of 2016 implemented Jambi Province Agriculture and the Jambi Provincial
concerning Guidelines for the Rejuvenation of Plantation Office
Oil Palm Plantations in Chapter III, namely the
institutional development of smallholders
2 Reviewing the Minister of Agriculture It has not been Scientific meetings and studies Plantation Office in Conducting consultations with the Ministry of
Regulation No. 18 of 2016 concerning implemented Jambi Province Agriculture and collaboration with the Regional
Guidelines for the Rejuvenation of Oil Palm Government
Plantations in Chapter III, namely the
institutional development of smallholders
3 Considering the aspirations of smallholder oil It has not been Joint deliberation taking into Plantation Office in Deliberation or social interaction as an
palms as social interaction implemented particular account conditions Jambi Province approach to society
including age and education
4 Carrying out training is in accordance with the It has not done yet Meetings and conduct reviews on Plantation Office in Collaboration between the government and the
Minister of Agriculture Regulation No. 18 of training programs Jambi Province, private sector to conduct training and
2016 concerning Guidelines for the Plantation company community empowerment using a social
Rejuvenation of Oil Palm Plantations in interaction approach
Chapter III, namely development
5 Providing training as an effort to empower It has not been Scientific studies to support the Plantation Office in Collaboration between the local government
communities to reduce oil palm conflicts implemented sustainability of oil palm Jambi Province and the central government to advance
smallholder oil palms through community
empowerment will reduce oil palm conflictsSocial interaction and community engagement of smallholder oil palm 279
Table 5: The desired transformation changes
Change Logically desirable It is culturally appropriate Possible action
Conducting community Yes, the training system Yes, it is one of the efforts to The training system stated in
empowerment through social carried out through social reduce oil palm conflicts based the policy of the Minister of
interaction as an effort to interaction and community on knowledge from community Agriculture of the Republic of
activate training in oil palm empowerment will run empowerment and to support the Indonesia No. 18 of 2016
plantation management from according to need implementation of training in concerning Guidelines for the
not being carried out to be accordance with the Regulation of Rejuvenation of Oil Palm
carried out under the Regulation the Minister of Agriculture of the Plantations in Chapter III,
of the Minister of Agriculture of Republic of Indonesia No. 18 of namely the institutional
the Republic of Indonesia No. 18 2016 concerning Guidelines for development of smallholders,
of 2016 concerning Guidelines the Rejuvenation of Oil Palm needs to be activated. The
for the Rejuvenation of Oil Palm Plantations in Chapter III, namely application of training as a form
Plantations in Chapter III, the institutional development of of social interaction and
namely the institutional smallholders community empowerment will
development of smallholders be assessed to reduce oil palm
conflicts, both from a regulatory
and governance perspective
of renewable resources. Social sustainability is influ- results of this study show that smallholder oil palms in
enced by the surrounding community [67], and hence, the research location are cooperative and interested in
it requires immediate conflict resolution. The existence training and community empowerment. In this article,
of conflicts can raise concerns about the threat to sus- the point of community empowerment is in the terms of
tainability in the industrial sector. Three main sectors increasing the community knowledge about oil palm
describe sustainability: economic, social, and environ- plantation. The knowledge includes the harvesting pro-
mental [68]. The social impact of conflict can affect indi- cess, land management, and conflict resolution. The
viduals, families, communities, or even countries [27]. policy on training has been stipulated in the Regulation
There are several studies on natural resource conflicts, of the Minister of Agriculture of the Republic of Indonesia
including Peace and Conflict Impact Assessment (PCIA), No. 18 of 2016 concerning Guidelines for the Rejuvenation
Environmental Conflict Resolution (ECR), Environmental of Oil Palm Plantations in Chapter III, namely, the insti-
Conflict Management (ECM), political economist, peace tutional development of smallholders. The policy is
studies [27]. needed to be studied so that training can be carried
Natural resource conflicts are very complex; this out to reduce oil palm conflicts. This study has answered
makes conflict resolution very difficult [5]. The conflict its purpose to reduce oil palm conflicts. Synergy among
that occurs is influenced by the level, intensity, and dura- the government, smallholder oil palms, and especially
tion of the conflict [10]. The influence of geographic scale with oil palm companies is required.
and the number of people affected is part of the conflict Therefore, involving the community, especially small-
level that occurs. Meanwhile, the intensity is related to holders in training, can be an investment in improving
the land use. The duration of the conflict is related to the communication between companies, government, and
development of the conflict from year to year. Conflict communities. The involvement of the community pro-
will always exist in human relations and cannot be cess can be a part of the CSR process of companies
avoided. It only takes control to manage the conflict so and social investment. One of the engagement inter-
that it does not become a significant problem and cause ventions that can be carried out is through training
big money impacts. It is necessary to have appropriate programs for actors. That is in line with the thinking of
conflict management to deal with the conflict. Nothing is independent smallholder oil palms who feel that engage-
the same in the management process between conflicts ment needs to be done for smallholder oil palms as a
with one another because each conflict has its unique- learning effort. Engagement efforts can be carried out
ness. There must be a holistic integration of every law through training such as nurseries and plantation man-
and policy to resolve conflicts [69]. agement. This is necessary so that smallholder oil palms
This study also addressed suggestions and recom- understand the problems related to oil palm plantations.
mendations to the Jambi Provincial Government. The Therefore, they do not experience stock problems or other280 Herdis Herdiansyah
conflicts. Economic engagement can also be done by smallholders is a part of the intervention process in the form
leading to a better economic process for smallholders. of training to provide enthusiasm and information to the
Increasing welfare, knowledge, and skills from small- community, management, human resources, as well as
holders can be one of the social interventions that can with critical players from trade unions. Competency
be carried out in conflict resolution and postconflict reso- training, especially training in social dialogue at the
lution. In balance, the cooperation carried out will provide individual, team, and organizational levels, is consid-
long-term benefits as a form of social interaction. Thus, in ered one step to prevent conflict [77].
addition to government programs that can also run prop-
erly, smallholder oil palms and parties related to oil palm
plantations should understand the management of oil
palm plantations well so that oil palm conflicts can be 5 Conclusion
gradually decreased.
Education and training provide knowledge and aware- Oil palm conflicts related to communities and companies
ness to smallholder oil palms about conflict and the oil are complex issues for several reasons. They are as
palm processing process. Economic engagement can lead follows: (1) the system applied in oil palm plantations
to a better economy for smallholders. Increasing the in Indonesia is generally ownership of plasma land,
welfare, knowledge, and skills of smallholders is one and ownership of nucleus land, (2) smallholders have a
of the social interventions that can be carried out in weak position in terms of land tenure, (3) the purchase of
the process of conflict resolution and postconflict reso- oil palm prices is low by toke, and at the same time, the
lution. Engagement activities can provide real change in price of fertilizers in the market is high, which results in
life at the individual and community levels [70]. This small independent smallholder oil palms’ profits, (4) the
can be a social capital to encourage networks with mar- transportation cost also costly for smallholder oil palms,
kets, political systems, and civil society in resolving (5) there are differences in individuals’ perceptions in
these land conflicts [71]. In postconflict realities, reframing society that can lead to conflict. Therefore, natural resource
citizen engagement through participatory communication conflicts are very complex; hence, conflict resolution is very
into a development approach allows us to rebuild peace difficult. Thus, the management conflict can be focused
from the ground up and place local communities’ voices at on place-based conflict resolution and applies to trans-
the center of the reconstruction process [72]. Therefore, national patterns and structured inequality globally.
smallholder empowerment plays a very important role However, the conflict resolution through mediation
in bridging government administrators’ perspectives with and negotiation has failed to prevent the conflict
citizens and between groups of citizens. Conflict resolution from re-emerging, to address the root cause of conflict
must be carried out fairly. Environmental justice is about between companies and smallholders, and to apply
place-based conflict and applies to transnational and that transnational patterns and structured inequality
structured patterns of inequality globally. Environmental globally
justice is related to climate justice, energy justice, trans- Based on the problem analysis, this article formu-
portation justice, food justice, and social justice [73]. The lated a system owned and operated by the government
environmental justice to be achieved in this research to improve the quality of smallholder oil palms (P) through
covers the sub-disciplines of economics, law, and social social interaction and community engagement (Q) to make
interaction with other sciences such as sociology, philos- the small smallholders understand the management of
ophy, science, and technology. oil palm plantations (R). The conceptual model obtained
Therefore, social intervention in conflict resolution is an effort to reduce oil palm conflicts, starting from
is needed not only in the aspect of mediation but also social interaction and community engagement through
in the form and aspects of the economy, policy, security, approaches among the government, companies, and
governance, political technology, reconciliation, commu- smallholder oil palms to form social interaction and
nity-based development, and media and communication training. Both of these efforts were believed to be able
[74,75]. Social interventions aim to prevent, correct, or to reduce oil palm conflicts. However, to make that
alleviate imbalances in the interaction of people, families, approach, each stakeholder needs to contribute to creating
and communities [74]. Social interventions can provide a those interactions. The communities should try to develop
framework for the source and transfer of knowledge [76]. In their chain with the company, which the local community
the oil palm conflict context, one of the parties that can help system can provide, and have open-minded thinking to
the intervention process is the smallholder. Engagement of the approach of either government or companies. Then,Social interaction and community engagement of smallholder oil palm 281
companies should create a social mapping of their local Funding information: This study is funded by the Publikasi
community needs and create the places or systems to Terindeks Internasional (PUTI) Q2 2020 from Directorate
engage local communities such as youth and farmer’s Research and Development (Risbang) Universitas Indonesia
communities. In addition to creating interactions, oil with contract number NKB-1798/UN2.RST/HKP.05.00/2020.
palm planters would feel that the government has sup-
ported in providing knowledge about the management Conflict of interest: The author states no conflict of
of oil palm plantations, and therefore, oil palm conflicts could interest.
be gradually decreased and the quality of people’s palm oil
becomes better. The achievements for each contribution of Data availability statement: Data sharing is not applic-
stakeholders still need to have further research. able to this article as no datasets were generated or ana-
lyzed during the current study.
Abbreviations
% percent
References
BPN Badan Pertanahan Nasional/National Land
[1] Basiron Y. Palm oil production through sustainable
Agency
plantations. Eur J Lipid Sci Technol. 2007;109(4):289–95.
CATWOE customers, actors, transformation, world doi: 10.1002/ejlt.200600223.
view, owner, environmental constraints [2] Rodrigues GS, Rodrigues IA, Buschinelli CCA, Barros E.
CSR corporate social responsibility Integrated farm sustainability assessment for the
ECM environmental conflict management environmental management of rural activities.
Environ Impact Assess Rev. 2010;30(4):229–39.
ECR environmental conflict resolution
doi: 10.1016/j.eiar.2009.10.002.
GHG greenhouse gas
[3] Searchinger T, Heimlich R, Houghton RA, Dong F, Elobeid A,
GDP gross domestic product Fabiosa J, et al. Use of US croplands for biofuels increases
Ha hectar greenhouse gases through emissions from land-use change.
HGU Hak Guna Usaha/Business Use Rights Science. 2008;319(5867):1237–40. doi: 10.1126/
HSM hard system method science.1151861.
[4] Fitzherbert EB, Struebig MJ, Morel A, Danielsen F, Bruhl CA,
LBH Lembaga Bantuan Hukum/Legal Aid Agency
Donald PF, et al. How will oil palm expansion affect
NGOs Non-Government Organization biodiversity? Trends Ecol Evolution. 2008;23(10):538–45.
PAM Perusahaan Air Minum/Drinking Water doi: 10.1016/j.tree.2008.06.012.
Company [5] Gritten D, Saastamoinen O, Sajama S. Ethical analysis:
PCIA peace and conflict impact assessment a structured approach to facilitate the resolution of forest
PRA participatory rural appraisal conflicts. For Policy Econ. 2009;11(8):555–60.
doi: 10.1016/J.FORPOL.2009.07.003.
PSM problem solving method
[6] Skutsch M, Rios Ede L, Solis S, Riegelhaupt E, Hinojosa D,
RD root definition Gerfert S, et al. Jatropha in Mexico: environmental and social
RRA rapid rural appraisal impacts of an incipient biofuel program. Ecol Soc.
RT Rukun Tangga/neighborhood or hamlet 2011;16(4):11–27. doi: 10.5751/ES-04448-160411.
SSM soft system methodology [7] Bayu DJ. Selama 2018, konflik agraria paling banyak di sektor
perkebunan. Available from: https://economy.okezone.com/
WALHI Wahana Lingkungan Hidup Indonesia/
read/2019/05/03/470/2051073/ada-8-959-sengketa-lahan-
Indonesian Forum for the Environment terbanyak-konflik-antar-masyarakat.
[8] Ariza-Montobbio P, Lele S. Jatropha plantations for biodiesel
in tamil nadu, india: viability, livelihood trade-offs, and latent
Acknowledgments: The author extends sincere gratitude conflict. Ecol Econ. 2011;70(2):189–95. doi: 10.1016/
to a team from the Jambi province environmental service j.ecolecon.2010.05.011.
(DLH) who has helped in the field, and thanks to Berliana [9] Kaufman S, Elliott M, Shmueli D. Frames, framing and
Nur Kholila and Arty Dwi J, who helped analyze and reframing. Beyond Intractabil; 2003. Available from:
edit this article and also Nanik Ambar Suharyanti which http://www.beyondintractability.org/essay/framing.
[10] Petrescu-Maga RM, Petrescub DC, Azadic H, Petrescu-Mage IV.
helps correct basic concepts and Prof. Dr. Sudarsono
Agricultural land use conflict management – vulnerabilities,
Hardjosoekarto who have corrected and provided input law restrictions and negotiation frames. A wake-up call. Land
on the SSM concept (even though all of them could not be Use Policy. 2018;76:600–10. doi: 10.1016/
fulfilled). j.landusepol.2018.02.040.You can also read
