Land tenure conflicts in forest areas: obstacles to rejuvenation of small-scale oil palm plantations in Indonesia

Riyadi Mustofa, Almasdi Syahza*, Gulat Mendali Emas Manurung, Besri Nasrul, Rino Afrino, Eko Jaya Siallagan

We introduce a conflict-resolution model for small-scale smallholder oil palm plantations, resolving the problems of forest area claims that are not accommodated in the Indonesian Job Creation law. Land conflict resolution is categorized into five typologies: 1) oil palm plantations with business permits; 2) those without a forestry permit and being subject to administrative sanctions; 3) business activities in forest areas that do not have permits in the forestry sector; 4) resolving non-conformities in the progress of land and/or management rights that have been controlled and used in forest areas before being designated by removing land parcels through changes in forest area boundaries; 5) the settlement for farmers who do not have cultivation registration certificates but whose plantations have been established and whose land tenure can be proven.

*Coresponding Author: almasdi.syahza@lecturer.unri.ac.id

Citation: Mustofa, R.Syahza, A.Manurung, G.M.E.Nasrul, B.Afrino, R. and Siallagan, E.J. (2024), “Land tenure conflicts in forest areas: obstacles to rejuvenation of small-scale oil palm plantations in Indonesia”, International Journal of Law and Management, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJLMA-09-2023-0216