An unprecedented increase in oil palm developments may be underway in Papua New Guinea (PNG) through controversial ‘Special Agricultural and Business Leases’ (SABLs) covering over two million ha. Oil palm development can create societal benefits, but doubt has been raised about whether the SABL developers intend establishing plantations. Here we examine the development objectives of these proposals through an assessment of their land suitability, developer experience and capacity, and socio-legal constraints.
The Forest and land use composition of the Solomon Islands study in 2016, shows 7.77% of the total land area was ‘cropland’. Cropland itself comprises 2176 square kilometres. In 2016 the dominant crop type was mixed subsistence agriculture followed by coconut, mixed crops (including coconut overstory) and palm oil Cocoa and ‘other’ agriculture make up the remaining area under cultivation.