Assessing community perceptions and socio-economic impacts of PT. SAML: enhancing local well-being or raising new challenges?

Communities surrounding oil palm plantations play a crucial role in supporting and shaping plantation development, making research based on their perceptions essential. The research was conducted in Rengas Abang Village and Bukit Batu Village, both situated near PT. SAML. Characteristics of respondents and perceptions data were collected through interviews and field observations. Results show that 51.9% of the community are migrants from East Java, primarily working in oil palm plantations, with 62.03% holding a high school diploma and 74.68% reporting a monthly income of Rp. 1.5-3.5 million. The community largely perceives oil palm plantations as beneficial to wildlife (71.6%), believing they provide food for certain species. Additionally, the community around PT. SAML views the company’s environmental impact positively, with most agreeing that it does not cause land fires or pollute rivers and takes steps to protect water quality and avoid slash-and-burn practices in peatland areas. Positive social impacts were also noted, including enhanced population stability, improved accessibility, education, social cohesion, and support for sustainable oil palm practices, with no significant social conflicts or increase in land fires reported. Economically, the community reports improved welfare, as the oil palm industry has raised household incomes, evidenced by the increase in permanent housing among both farmers and daily labourers.