Cost reduction for upscaling voluntary sustainability standards: the case of independent oil palm smallholders in Central Kalimantan, Indonesia

Upscaling Voluntary Sustainability Standards (VSS) can generate ecological and social benefits at a scale that is meaningful to address pressing environmental issues such as climate change and biodiversity losses. Lack of resources and risks of implementation gaps may, however, hinder the success of upscaling VSS. This paper aims to fill the gap in the literature regarding options to reduce certification costs to upscale VSS amid the limited financial resources available for certification. The paper presents the result of action research involving 3,507 independent oil palm farmers who are members of six farmer groups in two districts in Central Kalimantan to achieve Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) certification. The research found that achieving economies of scale by increasing the total number of certified farmers can reduce the certification costs per farmer. By establishing a district-level entity, the costs related to audits, RSPO membership fees, and the establishment of farmer groups, such as developing standard operating procedures (SOPs), can be lowered. Implementation gaps were not found with the increase of farmers joining the project based on the training frequency and the external audit findings reports on farmers' compliance with RSPO principles and criteria. The findings of this study provide a basis for promoting the upscaling of VSS, including through the RSPO jurisdictional approach

Essay in Environmental Spillover of US Crop Insurance on Surface Water, Agricultural and Geographical Effects on Surface Water Impairment, and A Hypothetical Irrigation Game in Madison Co., TN

Essay in \u27Environmental Spillover of US Crop Insurance on Surface Water\u27 investigates the spillover effect of the premium subsidy change in crop insurance to the surface water impairment. A two-step IV-GMM with SHAC optimal weighting matrix is used in the estimation. Data for the empirical evidence are from EPA, Risk Management Agency, National Agricultural Statistics Service, and US Census Bureau are used. The estimation results suggest an increase in premium subsidy and/or indemnified losses could lead to an increase in insured acres. However, the increase in insured acres may not significantly worsen the condition of impaired waters.Essay in \u27Agriculture and Geographical Effects on Water Impairment Condition\u27 investigates the impact of agriculture and geographical effects on water impairment condition by assembling county-aggregated huc-12s water impairment data and county agricultural data. Number of farms, number of animal units, farm-size, and agricultural-designated waters are used as agricultural indicators. County elevation and geographical position from equator are used as geographical indicator. Using IV approach, this study finds that higher number of farms and animal units could worsen water impairment condition. However, larger farm-size is associated with less change in water impairment. County located on predominantly higher elevation tends to have larger agricultural-designated waters which subsequently worsen the water impairment. There is also evidence that county\u27s geographical position is significant in explaining county\u27s progression in water impairment.Essay in \u27A Hypothetical Irrigation Game in Madison Co., TN,\u27 examines the condition that could lead to groundwater overdraft due to competition among farmers where weather condition dictates optimal water allocation. Using a dated response function and Madison County, TN., weather data from Jackson Weather Station, the simulation results indicate that when pumping cost is relatively low, the risk averse farmer would allocate more water than risk neutral farmers including during wet months. The result implies that the overdraft problem in southeastern region might exist if most farmers in the region are risk averse and pumping cost are very low. Thus, the sense of competition of water extraction might lead to groundwater overdraft even though the region has high precipitation

Breakeven Evaluation of Irrigation System in Tennessee

Conflict over water use in the southeastern US is increasingly common as communities and industries fund themselves without adequate water supplies. However, agricultural water use in the southeastern states has received relatively little attention despite rapid growth in the use of irrigation by the region’s farmers. This study determines the breakeven prices for dryland and irrigated crops produced in the Tennessee River Basin and Hiwassee-Mississippi watersheds. The analysis focuses on five major crops produced in the region: corn, soybean, cotton, wheat and sorghum. Tillage practices considered are conventional, reduced, and no-till. Irrigation technologies include furrows, center pivot, and big-gun/traveler systems. Water sources include surface and wells. Center pivot systems are currently the dominant irrigation practice in the region. We hypothesize that gravity-based systems are more profitable under certain conditions. Well installation costs largely determine the profitability of irrigation practices in the study area. Key differences will be driven by the relative price of commodities, the production portfolio of producers, and energy, labor, and installation costs. Repair expenses for irrigation systems are insensitive to different well depths, but sensitive to the type of irrigation system implemented. These findings will be useful for producers augmenting their operations with irrigation systems

DataSheet3_Jurisdictional approaches to High Conservation Value area designation using regulatory instruments: an Indonesian pilot project.xlsx

Agricultural expansion is the primary driver of tropical deforestation and ecological degradation. Certification schemes for sustainable agricultural supply chains, such that of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), seek to address this issue by identifying and protecting High Conservation Value (HCV) areas within concessions. Although RSPO certification of individual concessions has been beneficial, it has had limited efficacy in arresting systemic ecological degradation at larger scales. In response, certification at a regional, ‘jurisdictional’ scale concordant with local environmental regulation has been proposed as an alternative to conventional, piecemeal certification. Jurisdictional certification schemes require alignment with local legislation to ensure integration with governmental environmental and land-use planning; yet, questions of which legislation, and at which level of government, have remained unaddressed. Here, we report on a pilot jurisdictional RSPO certification scheme implemented by an Indonesian district, based on environmental carrying capacity assessments (ECCA) as legislated by the district government. Using the ECCA, we identified likely HCV areas across the district and considered their distributions with respect to three factors of feasible HCV management: (a) similarity with alternative HCV areas identified by a conventional HCV Screening method, (b) sensitivity to aspects of underlying legislation, and (c) scope for unilateral district-wide management. Likely HCV areas were generally similar between the ECCA and HCV Screening method, as each set spanned ∼90% of the district. However, higher-confidence HCV areas according to the ECCA were much less extensive, at 51% of the district, and uniquely extensive across oil-palm concessions. HCV area designation was highly sensitive to the legislated parameters of the ECCA, namely, the selection and estimation of key ecosystem services. Potentially, subtle variations to ECCA implementation, such as those proposed by agro-industrial lobbyists, would significantly affect jurisdictional HCV designations. Finally, some three-quarters of all HCV areas and higher-confidence HCV areas designated by the ECCA fell outside of the exclusive administrative authority of the district government, being confined to agricultural zones. In politically-decentralised Indonesia, jurisdictional HCV area management would therefore be narrowly confined to agricultural areas, or cooperation between district, provincial, and central governments would be essential to the protection of HCV areas generally across districts.</p

DataSheet4_Jurisdictional approaches to High Conservation Value area designation using regulatory instruments: an Indonesian pilot project.xlsx

Agricultural expansion is the primary driver of tropical deforestation and ecological degradation. Certification schemes for sustainable agricultural supply chains, such that of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), seek to address this issue by identifying and protecting High Conservation Value (HCV) areas within concessions. Although RSPO certification of individual concessions has been beneficial, it has had limited efficacy in arresting systemic ecological degradation at larger scales. In response, certification at a regional, ‘jurisdictional’ scale concordant with local environmental regulation has been proposed as an alternative to conventional, piecemeal certification. Jurisdictional certification schemes require alignment with local legislation to ensure integration with governmental environmental and land-use planning; yet, questions of which legislation, and at which level of government, have remained unaddressed. Here, we report on a pilot jurisdictional RSPO certification scheme implemented by an Indonesian district, based on environmental carrying capacity assessments (ECCA) as legislated by the district government. Using the ECCA, we identified likely HCV areas across the district and considered their distributions with respect to three factors of feasible HCV management: (a) similarity with alternative HCV areas identified by a conventional HCV Screening method, (b) sensitivity to aspects of underlying legislation, and (c) scope for unilateral district-wide management. Likely HCV areas were generally similar between the ECCA and HCV Screening method, as each set spanned ∼90% of the district. However, higher-confidence HCV areas according to the ECCA were much less extensive, at 51% of the district, and uniquely extensive across oil-palm concessions. HCV area designation was highly sensitive to the legislated parameters of the ECCA, namely, the selection and estimation of key ecosystem services. Potentially, subtle variations to ECCA implementation, such as those proposed by agro-industrial lobbyists, would significantly affect jurisdictional HCV designations. Finally, some three-quarters of all HCV areas and higher-confidence HCV areas designated by the ECCA fell outside of the exclusive administrative authority of the district government, being confined to agricultural zones. In politically-decentralised Indonesia, jurisdictional HCV area management would therefore be narrowly confined to agricultural areas, or cooperation between district, provincial, and central governments would be essential to the protection of HCV areas generally across districts.</p

DataSheet5_Jurisdictional approaches to High Conservation Value area designation using regulatory instruments: an Indonesian pilot project.docx

Agricultural expansion is the primary driver of tropical deforestation and ecological degradation. Certification schemes for sustainable agricultural supply chains, such that of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), seek to address this issue by identifying and protecting High Conservation Value (HCV) areas within concessions. Although RSPO certification of individual concessions has been beneficial, it has had limited efficacy in arresting systemic ecological degradation at larger scales. In response, certification at a regional, ‘jurisdictional’ scale concordant with local environmental regulation has been proposed as an alternative to conventional, piecemeal certification. Jurisdictional certification schemes require alignment with local legislation to ensure integration with governmental environmental and land-use planning; yet, questions of which legislation, and at which level of government, have remained unaddressed. Here, we report on a pilot jurisdictional RSPO certification scheme implemented by an Indonesian district, based on environmental carrying capacity assessments (ECCA) as legislated by the district government. Using the ECCA, we identified likely HCV areas across the district and considered their distributions with respect to three factors of feasible HCV management: (a) similarity with alternative HCV areas identified by a conventional HCV Screening method, (b) sensitivity to aspects of underlying legislation, and (c) scope for unilateral district-wide management. Likely HCV areas were generally similar between the ECCA and HCV Screening method, as each set spanned ∼90% of the district. However, higher-confidence HCV areas according to the ECCA were much less extensive, at 51% of the district, and uniquely extensive across oil-palm concessions. HCV area designation was highly sensitive to the legislated parameters of the ECCA, namely, the selection and estimation of key ecosystem services. Potentially, subtle variations to ECCA implementation, such as those proposed by agro-industrial lobbyists, would significantly affect jurisdictional HCV designations. Finally, some three-quarters of all HCV areas and higher-confidence HCV areas designated by the ECCA fell outside of the exclusive administrative authority of the district government, being confined to agricultural zones. In politically-decentralised Indonesia, jurisdictional HCV area management would therefore be narrowly confined to agricultural areas, or cooperation between district, provincial, and central governments would be essential to the protection of HCV areas generally across districts.</p

DataSheet2_Jurisdictional approaches to High Conservation Value area designation using regulatory instruments: an Indonesian pilot project.xlsx

Agricultural expansion is the primary driver of tropical deforestation and ecological degradation. Certification schemes for sustainable agricultural supply chains, such that of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), seek to address this issue by identifying and protecting High Conservation Value (HCV) areas within concessions. Although RSPO certification of individual concessions has been beneficial, it has had limited efficacy in arresting systemic ecological degradation at larger scales. In response, certification at a regional, ‘jurisdictional’ scale concordant with local environmental regulation has been proposed as an alternative to conventional, piecemeal certification. Jurisdictional certification schemes require alignment with local legislation to ensure integration with governmental environmental and land-use planning; yet, questions of which legislation, and at which level of government, have remained unaddressed. Here, we report on a pilot jurisdictional RSPO certification scheme implemented by an Indonesian district, based on environmental carrying capacity assessments (ECCA) as legislated by the district government. Using the ECCA, we identified likely HCV areas across the district and considered their distributions with respect to three factors of feasible HCV management: (a) similarity with alternative HCV areas identified by a conventional HCV Screening method, (b) sensitivity to aspects of underlying legislation, and (c) scope for unilateral district-wide management. Likely HCV areas were generally similar between the ECCA and HCV Screening method, as each set spanned ∼90% of the district. However, higher-confidence HCV areas according to the ECCA were much less extensive, at 51% of the district, and uniquely extensive across oil-palm concessions. HCV area designation was highly sensitive to the legislated parameters of the ECCA, namely, the selection and estimation of key ecosystem services. Potentially, subtle variations to ECCA implementation, such as those proposed by agro-industrial lobbyists, would significantly affect jurisdictional HCV designations. Finally, some three-quarters of all HCV areas and higher-confidence HCV areas designated by the ECCA fell outside of the exclusive administrative authority of the district government, being confined to agricultural zones. In politically-decentralised Indonesia, jurisdictional HCV area management would therefore be narrowly confined to agricultural areas, or cooperation between district, provincial, and central governments would be essential to the protection of HCV areas generally across districts.</p

DataSheet1_Jurisdictional approaches to High Conservation Value area designation using regulatory instruments: an Indonesian pilot project.xlsx

Agricultural expansion is the primary driver of tropical deforestation and ecological degradation. Certification schemes for sustainable agricultural supply chains, such that of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), seek to address this issue by identifying and protecting High Conservation Value (HCV) areas within concessions. Although RSPO certification of individual concessions has been beneficial, it has had limited efficacy in arresting systemic ecological degradation at larger scales. In response, certification at a regional, ‘jurisdictional’ scale concordant with local environmental regulation has been proposed as an alternative to conventional, piecemeal certification. Jurisdictional certification schemes require alignment with local legislation to ensure integration with governmental environmental and land-use planning; yet, questions of which legislation, and at which level of government, have remained unaddressed. Here, we report on a pilot jurisdictional RSPO certification scheme implemented by an Indonesian district, based on environmental carrying capacity assessments (ECCA) as legislated by the district government. Using the ECCA, we identified likely HCV areas across the district and considered their distributions with respect to three factors of feasible HCV management: (a) similarity with alternative HCV areas identified by a conventional HCV Screening method, (b) sensitivity to aspects of underlying legislation, and (c) scope for unilateral district-wide management. Likely HCV areas were generally similar between the ECCA and HCV Screening method, as each set spanned ∼90% of the district. However, higher-confidence HCV areas according to the ECCA were much less extensive, at 51% of the district, and uniquely extensive across oil-palm concessions. HCV area designation was highly sensitive to the legislated parameters of the ECCA, namely, the selection and estimation of key ecosystem services. Potentially, subtle variations to ECCA implementation, such as those proposed by agro-industrial lobbyists, would significantly affect jurisdictional HCV designations. Finally, some three-quarters of all HCV areas and higher-confidence HCV areas designated by the ECCA fell outside of the exclusive administrative authority of the district government, being confined to agricultural zones. In politically-decentralised Indonesia, jurisdictional HCV area management would therefore be narrowly confined to agricultural areas, or cooperation between district, provincial, and central governments would be essential to the protection of HCV areas generally across districts.</p