Farmers’ perceptions and likelihood of adoption of the roundtable on sustainable palm oil practices in Thailand

Abstract

The adoption of Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil practices (RSPO) has been promoted globally to improve crop yields and address social and environmental issues. This study examined farmers’ perceptions regarding the adoption of RSPO practices in southern Thailand.Primary data was obtained from 723 randomly selected smallholders; 333 adopters and 390 non-adopters, and the analysis of the farmers’ perceptions was performed using the weighted average index. The perceptions of adopters and non-adopters regarding the RSPO practices were different. The adopters were more positive about the RSPO practices than the non-adopters. The reason for adoption of RSPO practices was Thailand government’s provision of financial support for RSPO-related operations for adopters whereas most non-adopters expected further provision by the government. Although documentation was a major challenge for adopters, they would like to continually adopt the RSPO practices in the future because of the expectation to obtain premium price for selling certified oil palm. The continuous and intensified role of the government and institutions are critical for the adoption of the RSPO practices.