Insect Pollinators, the Hidden Heroes Behind the Glory of Indonesia’s Palm Oil Industry

The palm oil industry is one of the backbones of Indonesia’s economy with a production value of Rp440 trillion per year. However, few realize that this great achievement relies heavily on the services of pollinating insects.

“Oil palm without the presence of pollinating insects will experience a decline in production of up to 70-80 percent,” said Professor of the Faculty of Agriculture of IPB University, Prof Purnama Hidayat, in the Press Conference of the Pre Scientific Oration of Professor of IPB University via Zoom (5/22).

He said that of the total palm oil production value of Rp440 trillion, around Rp300 trillion could potentially be lost if pollinating insects were not present in the palm oil plantation ecosystem. According to him, Indonesia is lucky to have ecological conditions that support the presence of natural pollinating insects.

For example, Malaysia even has to import an insect called Elaeidobius kamerunicus from Africa to ensure the success of palm oil pollination. “Because the origin of the oil palm plant itself is from Africa, the insects are also brought from there,” he said.

Furthermore, he reminded that people often take the presence of insects for granted. In fact, he said, insects are vital ecosystem workers. 

“If there are no insects, then pollination must be done manually, a job that is almost impossible considering that millions of hectares of oil palm plantations are spread across Indonesia,” he explained.

In addition to discussing the important role of pollinating insects, Prof Purnama also highlighted the potential of insects as a future source of protein. In several countries such as Thailand, Vietnam, and China, insect consumption has become part of the culture. 

“The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has even stated that insects are the cheapest and most energy-efficient source of protein,” he said.

In the context of sustainable agriculture, the use of natural enemies as pest control has also begun to be adopted by the industry, as done by an old sugar company in Lampung. They managed to reduce the use of insecticides by 80 percent through the cultivation of predatory insects.

“This shows that insects are not only important for palm oil, but also for maintaining the balance of the agricultural ecosystem at large,” he said.

Prof Purnama invited all parties to appreciate and develop the potential of insects, both as pollinators, biological controllers, and future food sources. “Maybe today we consider eating insects strange, but in 20-30 years, it could be a common thing,” he said. (dr) (IAAS/ASY)