Sustainable Cultivation: Decoding Smallholders' Beliefs And Intentions Towards Sustainable Certification Scheme

Abstract

In 2018, the European Union parliament unanimously voted to prohibit and oppose the importation of palm oil for the purpose of producing bio-oil in 2020. As a result, in 2013, the Malaysian government introduced Sustainable Palm Oil Certification Scheme, also known as the Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO) certificate. This certificate was established with the purpose of assisting actors in the oil palm business, particularly smallholders, in adhering to the laid out requirements for sustainable oil palm farming, thus ensuring a more sustainable cultivation. Originally, MSPO was an optional certification, but in 2017, the MSPO were mandatory by the end of 2019, in accordance with the criteria for sustainable agricultural practices. This mandate applies to small-scale oil palm farmers. Objectives of this study are 1)To assess the preparedness of small-scale farmers to embrace and adhere to the Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO) standards 2) To understand factors that influence individuals' intended actions with regards to the implementation of MSPO. This study conducted semi-structured surveys to smallholders who own or cultivate oil palm plantations that do not exceed 40.46 hectares or 100 acres. A total of 304 small holders were picked using a random sampling procedure. Both qualitative and quantitative analysis (mixed method) are conducted. Data were collected from both questionnaires and in-depth interviews. This study indicate that small-scale oil palm growers in Johor are not ready in adhering to the Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO) certification. The reason for this is the lack of comprehension, awareness, and exposure of the Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO) standards among small-scale oil palm growers in Johor. Nevertheless, the impact of apprehensive and uninformed peers partially impedes their aspirations. Thus, it can be asserted that oil palm smallholder farmers in Johor possess the necessary readiness in terms of their attitudes, but they require additional instruction to adhere to the Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO) standards.