According to PricewaterhouseCooper Indonesia, palm oil is the second most traded vegetable crop oil after soy, and demand for this commodity is set to increase. In 2012, experts predicted that 6.3 million more hectares of land would need to be dedicated to growing oil palm plants in order to meet global demand by the year 2020. This, in turn, will raise the need for various chemical compounds, including fertilizers and pesticides. If left uncontrolled, the impact on greenhouse emissions and nutrient water pollution will be immense. Further complicating matters is the fact that both government agencies and a growing number of consumers want their products to come from sustainable sources with environmentally conscious cultivation practices.
One team of researchers from James Cook University in Australia announced they used computer modeling to simulate different scenarios in the agriculture of oil palm. They asserted that it is actually possible to reduce the environmental impact of farming, as published in the journal Environmental Modeling & Software.
Program can guide farmers' decisions
In research funded by the Australian Center for International Agricultural Research, study co-author Paul Nelson and his colleagues evaluated various settings for the growth of oil palm with the help of the Agricultural Production Systems Simulator. APSIM is capable of projecting farm yields after analyzing information from disparate sources.
"APSIM is the gold standard for simulating crop systems," Nelson said in a statement. "It enables the simulation of systems that cover a range of plant, animal, soil, climate and management interactions. APSIM is undergoing continual development and it's underpinned by rigorous science and software engineering standards. By applying APSIM Oil Palm, producers will be able to evaluate effects of their soil type, climate and management on their water balance, nutrient balance, soil organic matter and greenhouse gas emissions."
In a demonstration of the value of APSIM Oil Palm, Nelson and his colleagues incorporated information pertaining to soil and climate, culled from three large databases, into simulations at three sites in Papua New Guinea. The model projected growth for palm fronds, stems, roots and fruit while accounting for factors such as rainfall, temperature, light and soil. The ultimate goal is to use APSIM Oil Palm to inform the decisions of farmers in other parts of the world.
"Given that this is one of the most important industries in the tropics, our aim is to contribute to a research-based approach to its management," Nelson said in his statement. "Growers need information that will help them make decisions that are good for both productivity and the environment."
Sustainability is a priority
According to PwC Indonesia, the clearcutting of forests to grow oil palm has several consequences for the environment. It reduces biodiversity and hurts the forest's ability to sequester carbon. In addition to negatively impacting the environment, non-sustainable growth practices also diminish a country's social capital, PwC noted.
Additionally, fertilizers that wash away from the soil in runoff drive eutrophication of local watersheds. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, eutrophication occurs when nutrients lead to abnormal algae growth in bodies of Water. As the algae grows, dies and decomposes, it depletes the water of oxygen and creates dead zones in which aquatic life cannot live.
PwC Indonesia noted that implementation of sustainable practices incorporates eight principles:
- Transparency
- Compliance with local and international laws
- Commitment to long-term economic and financial viability
- Use of appropriate practices by millers and growers
- Environmental responsibility and conservation of both natural resources and biodiversity
- Consideration of employees and local residents impacted by millers
- Responsible development of new plantings
- Commitment to continuous improvement
APSIM Oil Palm can help farmers run their businesses according to these principles.
