KEMAMPANAN PERTANIAN SAWIT PEKEBUN KECIL ORANG ASLI DI SEMENANJUNG MALAYSIA.

The popularity of palm oil production is amazing. Around 10 percent of the world's permanent cropland has been used for global oil palm planting area. Among them, 85% of palm oil is produced in Malaysia and Indonesia. Palm oil has increased the income of populations of the two countries, especially farmers. But there is at cost, the environment is devastating, and labour rights and human rights are repeatedly violated. The objective of this study is to explore sustainable palm oil farming practices conducted by Orang Asli smallholders. This study was carried out in one of the indigenous villages located in the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia - Kampung Sungai Mai, Jerantut, Pahang. Employing qualitative method, eight indigenous farmers were interviewed periodically through simple random sampling and snowballing. The study results show that the orang Asli farmers are working towards land ownership as prerequisite of MSPO. Family farming as next step to sustainable farming and deforestation is curbed by oil palm cultivation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]