Impact of Palm Plantations In West Sulawesi Province: A Preliminary Study

Abstract

Abstract Based on data from BPS-Statistics of West Sulawesi Province, vast oil palm plantations in West Sulawesi province continued to increase. This increase in the area of oil palm plantations had led to the conversion of land functions from cocoa plantations, rice fields, ponds and forests to oil palm plantations. This study This study aimed to explore the various impacts of land conversion into oil palm plantations. This study used secondary data and descriptive methods to describe the impacts that occurred when the land conversion was carried out. The results of this study indicated the occurrence of various impacts, for example, reduced rice farmers and reduced food agricultural land, changes from polyculture plantations to palm oil monocultures, changes in regional hydrological conditions and agrarian disputes.