InfoSAWIT, JAMBI — Amid the urgent need to protect the environment and tackle climate change, smallholder palm farmers across various regions in Indonesia are beginning to transform their practices. They are adopting regenerative agriculture as a means to maintain soil fertility and enhance the sustainability of their palm oil plantations.
This approach not only serves as a counterbalance to past extractive practices but also integrates sustainable innovations with the local wisdom long practiced by indigenous communities.
Protecting Soil, Securing the Future
As the name suggests, regenerative agriculture focuses on the regeneration or restoration of soil. The goal is not merely to maintain production but also to revive biodiversity in plantations and position palm oil farms as part of the climate solution. “Soil is not just a growing medium; it is the center of life in the plantation. Healthy soil supports palm growth while sequestering carbon and enhancing climate resilience,” explained the technical team from FORTASBI, as reported by InfoSAWIT on Tuesday, July 15, 2025.
In various certified ISPO and RSPO smallholder plantations, regenerative agricultural practices are already being implemented. These include intercropping, agroforestry, livestock integration, and the use of organic fertilizers derived from plantation waste such as empty fruit bunches, palm fronds, and animal manure.
These organic materials are typically placed around the base of palm trees to improve soil structure, enhance nutrient content, and revive soil microorganism activity. Gradually, previously compacted and nutrient-poor soils are beginning to recover.
One interesting practice involves using the eight o'clock flower (Turnera subulata) as a natural pest control for the palm weevil, a major pest of oil palm. This flower serves as a habitat for natural predators, creating a balanced ecosystem that can naturally suppress pest attacks without pesticides.
Additionally, farmers are enriching and protecting high conservation value areas (HCVA) around their plantations. This step aligns with the principles of regenerative agriculture, which emphasizes not only production outcomes but also the holistic preservation of ecological landscapes.
The regenerative agriculture program, run by the Indonesian Sustainable Palm Oil Farmers Forum (FORTASBI) in collaboration with the Setara Jambi Foundation and supported by FONAP, has been implemented in the areas of the Merlung Renah Mendaluh (MRM) smallholder farmer group and the Blessed Mandah Lestari Farmers Association (APBML) in Tanjung Jabung Barat, Jambi Province.
This year, regenerative agriculture practices are being expanded to Simalungun, North Sumatra, and Ketapang, West Kalimantan, with support from partners such as SNV, Agriterra, and Rainforest Alliance. “We not only want to be productive but also care for the soil, water, and biodiversity in our plantations,” said one farmer from APBML.
Achieving sustainable palm oil plantations with healthy soil is not instantaneous. However, long-term investments in regenerative agriculture have proven to enhance plantation productivity, strengthen local ecosystems, and contribute significantly to smallholder farmers' efforts in mitigating global climate change.
FORTASBI emphasizes that regenerative agriculture is not merely a new farming method but a collective movement to strengthen the future of agriculture rooted in local traditions while looking ahead. (T2)
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