n the minus side, yield per hectare from small holder farms is lower than from large commercial plantations. “To ensure the sustainable livelihoods of smallholder farmers from oil palm growing and at the same time reduce the pressure to expand oil palm plantations, the low efficiency of the Thai palm oil sector needs to be addressed,” says the report. Another challenge is the difficulty in getting sustainability certification for small farmers under the Round Table on Sustainable Oil (RSPO) which has limited experience and resources in setting up networks with small farmers -who also cannot shoulder the costs of management, compliance and verification processes required for certification.