Citing an article by agronomist Alain Rival of Cirad published in The Conversation, the plantation sector—covering commodities such as palm oil, cocoa, coffee, and bananas—still relies heavily on a legacy model inherited from the colonial era.

This model depends on abundant, compliant, and low-cost labor to sustain export-oriented production.

However, Rival argues that this approach is increasingly losing relevance.

“The main issue today is no longer just environmental, but the social attractiveness of tropical agricultural production systems,” he wrote.

Young Workers Turning Away

In major producing countries like Indonesia and Malaysia, plantations are struggling to attract local workers.

Studies show younger generations are increasingly reluctant to work in plantations due to physically demanding conditions, low social recognition, and insufficient wages.

This is compounded by low levels of mechanization, leaving much of the work dependent on manual labor.

Gender inequality also persists, with men typically assigned heavy tasks while women are often placed in less secure roles with limited social protection, alongside domestic responsibilities.

Dependence on Migrant Labor

To sustain production, many plantations—especially in Malaysia—rely heavily on migrant workers, who account for 70% to 80% of the workforce.

This dependency proved fragile during the COVID-19 pandemic, when labor shortages led to production declines.

In Indonesia, although domestic labor dominates, inter-island worker mobility remains crucial to maintaining operations.

Certification Yet to Address Labor Issues

While sustainability certification schemes such as RSPO have made progress in addressing environmental concerns like deforestation, labor issues remain insufficiently addressed.

“Certification has brought progress, but often has not deeply tackled labor-related challenges,” Rival noted.

Additionally, complex and costly certification processes remain a barrier for smallholders, who contribute around 40% of Indonesia’s palm oil production.

Future Question: Who Will Work?

A fundamental question now emerges: who will work in palm oil plantations in the future?

Rival emphasized that sustainability will depend not only on productivity or environmental standards but also on the industry’s ability to attract and retain workers.

Fair wages, decent working conditions, mechanization, access to training, and social recognition of agricultural work will be key factors.

International organizations such as FAO have also stressed that rural employment is now central to the sustainability of agricultural systems in tropical countries.

A Broader Political Issue

Rival further argued that this is not merely an agricultural issue, but also one of political economy and development.

Dependence on extractive, export-oriented economic models risks undermining the social appeal of plantation sectors and threatening long-term resilience.

This underscores that the future of the palm oil industry depends not only on how production is sustained, but also on who will sustain it—and under what social and economic conditions.