Palm Oil Sustainability: Current and Further Potential Research to Adopt Sustainable Development Goals 2030

Abstract

The issue of sustainability in the palm oil industry is frequently discussed due to its significant impacts and benefits for society. This research aims to examine the current state of palm oil sustainability research and suggest potential areas for future research. A systematic literature review approach is used to select relevant articles on the sustainability of palm oil production. The study follows the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) framework to identify relevant articles, which are then analysed using both qualitative and quantitative methods. VOSViewer is employed to analyse the bibliographic data of these articles, helping identify potential future research directions based on author keywords. This study has successfully categorized 532 articles from the Scopus database that directly relate to the sustainability of the palm oil industry. The results of the qualitative and quantitative analyses indicate that in recent years, based on their keywords, research trends are moving towards circular economy, biodiversity, tropical agriculture, policy, and palm oil clinker. Judging from the majority of cited articles, future research trends are recommended to focus on productivity aspects, the development of palm oil derivative products, and supply chain performance for the sustainability of the palm oil industry.