Research Seminars @ Illinois

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Tailored for undergraduate researchers, this calendar is a curated list of research seminars at the University of Illinois. Explore the diverse world of research and expand your knowledge through engaging sessions designed to inspire and enlighten.

To have your events added or removed from this calendar, please contact OUR at ugresearch@illinois.edu

Speaker Yoko Yamasaki - Plantations and Civil Conflict: Evidence from the Indonesian Palm Oil Boom

Event Type: Seminar/Symposium
Sponsor: Practice Job Talk - IPAD (International Policy & Development)
Location: 426 Mumford Hall
Date: Oct 17, 2024 12:30 - 1:30 pm
Speaker: Yoko Yamasaki, PhD Student, UIUC Dept. ACE
Views: 10
Originating Calendar: ACE Seminars; Abstract
Oil palm is one of the most important commercial crops in the world, providing a living for some seven million smallholders globally. The exponential growth of the palm oil industry in response to increasing demand in recent decades has brought significant economic benefits. However, it has been argued that it also sparked numerous socio-environmental challenges that include a surge in civil conflict due to disputes over land and profit-sharing. This paper uses high-resolution remote-sensed data on the extent of palm oil plantations to estimate their effect on civil conflict in Indonesia, the world’s largest producer of palm oil. Our results indicate that a 1 percentage point increase in a sub-district’s palm oil area increases the number of violent conflict events by 1.6%. We examine the various dimensions of conflict associated with palm oil expansion by estimating its heterogeneous effects on different types of conflicts. The results of this paper contribute to a deeper understanding of the social impacts of palm oil expansion, which is needed to design policies and industry practices that foster sustainable and equitable development pathways.

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