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Public engagement promotes consumer choice in favour of sustainable palm oil

Hobbs, Laura; Phillips, Josie; Staff, Amy; Goss, Amber; Fogg-Rogers, Laura; Ellwood, Farnon

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Authors

Josie Phillips

Amy Staff

Amber Goss

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Dr Laura Fogg Rogers Laura.Foggrogers@uwe.ac.uk
Associate Professor of Knowledge Exchange in Engineering

Farnon Ellwood Farnon.Ellwood@uwe.ac.uk
Associate Professor in Conservation Science



Abstract

Despite the superior productivity, utility and economic benefits of palm oil compared with other oil crops, the palm oil industry often receives negative publicity for its environmental impact and there is widespread confusion over the perception of palm oil. The fact is that it is difficult to avoid palm oil consumption, and consumer boycotts will do little to resolve the social and environmental issues associated with oil palm agriculture. Instead, greater awareness of the importance of certified sustainable palm oil (CSPO) is needed. We used a mixed-methods survey to explore public awareness of palm oil, and understand the factors influencing sustainable consumer choice. Our survey, conducted in the Rainforest Biome of the world-renowned Eden Project in the United Kingdom, a nation with relatively high environmental awareness, revealed that public awareness of palm oil was generally low and that consumers had poor knowledge of CSPO. We identified that the most significant barriers preventing consumer choice for CSPO products were unclear labelling, product availability and cost. We recommend that the palm oil industry focus on enhancing sustainability, promoting the benefits and increasing the visibility of CSPO in supply chains and final products, rather than waiting for consumer choice alone to drive change.

Citation

Hobbs, L., Phillips, J., Staff, A., Goss, A., Fogg-Rogers, L., & Ellwood, F. (2022). Public engagement promotes consumer choice in favour of sustainable palm oil. Journal of Oil Palm Research, 34(2), 248-260. https://doi.org/10.21894/jopr.2021.0033

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date Jun 1, 2021
Online Publication Date Aug 11, 2021
Publication Date Jun 1, 2022
Deposit Date Nov 4, 2020
Publicly Available Date Mar 28, 2024
Journal Journal of Oil Palm Research
Electronic ISSN 2811-4701
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 34
Issue 2
Pages 248-260
DOI https://doi.org/10.21894/jopr.2021.0033
Keywords oil palm; sustainability; consumer habits; public awareness; public perception
Public URL https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/6822026
Publisher URL http://jopr.mpob.gov.my/

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