Landowner perceptions towards bioenergy production on degraded lands in Indonesia

Abstract

Various tree species have been identified as having potential for bioenergy and restoration of degraded land. Using degraded land for bioenergy production provides Indonesia with an opportunity to meet its rapidly growing energy demand while creating productive landscapes. However, bioenergy production is not feasible without landowner participation. This study investigates factors affecting preferences for restoration tree species by analysing responses from 150 landowners with fire experience in Buntoi village in Central Kalimantan l. Results indicate 76% of landowners preferring familiar species with readily available markets, such as Albizia chinensis (sengon) and Hevea brasiliensis (rubber), for restoration on degraded land, with only 8% preferring Calophyllum inophyllum L. (nyamplung) for bioenergy production. The latter group of landowners revealed a capacity to handle the uncertainty of the bioenergy market as they had additional jobs and income, had migrated from Java where nyamplung is prevalent, or preferred agricultural extension to improve their technical capacity. These results contribute to identifying key conditions for a bottom-up approach to bioenergy production on degraded land in Indonesia: a stable bioenergy market for landowners, application of familiar bioenergy species, and agricultural extension support for capacity building.