Integrating Indigenous Knowledge Systems into Sustainable Oil Palm Cultivation: A Pathway to Inclusive Green Growth

Abstract

The technological innovation that supports the sustainability of the oil palm sector in Indonesia is also influenced by the acknowledgment of Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS), which have been used by ancestors in land administration. This paper discusses why IKS can be incorporated into sustainable oil palm cultivation as a way of ensuring inclusive green development. The research, based on a mixed-method design of a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) of 68 peer-reviewed publications (2010–2025), participatory fieldwork in Jambi, Riau, and West Kalimantan, and comparative ecological evaluations of IKS-managed and conventional plantations, identifies key Indigenous practices that improve ecological balance and socio-economic resilience. Results indicate that IKS-based management enhances soil organic carbon by 18–24 percent, decreases the artificial use of fertilizer by 30 percent, and lowers the carbon footprint by around 15–20 percent without any serious drop in yields. Also, the IKS landscapes had higher levels of biodiversity indices and community cohesion, indicating the co-benefits of ecosystem services and local welfare. The paper provides a model based on the connection between traditional land ethics, circular flows of resources, and contemporary measurements of sustainability: the Integrated IKS-Agroecology Framework. Through policy analysis, the inclusion of IKS in the regional plantation governance system will enhance smallholder certification, climate adaptation, and gender-equitable participation. It is concluded in the paper that, in order to make the oil palm sector in Indonesia a model of green growth that is low-emission, culturally based, and socially fair, it is necessary to incorporate IKS into formal sustainability plans.