Intensive plantation cropping, a source of sustainable food and energy production in the tropical rain forest areas in southeast Asia

About 90% of the annual losses of tropical rain forests are caused by transformation into arable land, Most of the cropping activities on the former forest land are characterised by low input, partly shifting cultivation practices, leading to fast degradation of the lands which are finally abandoned owing to infertility. Success in protecting land from further degradation is determined by the economic viability of the respective system. Therefore, sustainability of agricultural systems depends on their economic sustainability, Intensive plantation cropping on former rain forest land appears to offer such an incentive to prevent the land from further degradation by employing the best technology available. Examples of intensive oil palm cultivation as a sustainable cropping system, in terms of economy and ecology, are given, Oil palm cultivation in a suitable environment outyields most annual crops and reveals a significant potential for efficient conversion of solar energy, With the employment of sound agronomic measures the present production potential can be fully realised and new techniques in the production of tissue cultured planting material provide further improved economic viability and environmentally sound cropping systems, Such an intensification offers excellent prospects for reducing the rate of deforestation in the humid tropics.