Research on World Agricultural Economy

Sustainable Behaviour in Palm Oil Certification: A Systematic Review of ISPO and RSPO Adoption

Eko Sumartono

Student of Doctoral Programme in Agricultural Sciences, University of Bengkulu and Departement of Agribusiness, Faculty of Agriculture, Dehasen University of Bengkulu

Ketut Sukiyono

Department of Agricultural Socio Economics, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Bengkulu

Muhamad Mustopa Romdhon

Department of Agricultural Socio Economics, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Bengkulu

Apri Andani

Department of Agricultural Socio Economics, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Bengkulu

DOI: https://doi.org/10.36956/rwae.v7i2.2747

Received: 16 September 2025; Published: 22 June 2026

Abstract

This study aims to identify, classify, and analyse academic literature related to the adoption of sustainability certification in the palm oil sector, particularly Indonesian Sustainable Palm Oil (ISPO) and Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), using a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) approach. The method was applied to examine 164 academic articles, which were classified into five main dimensions: theoretical focus based on the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), the scope of certification policies, mapping of TPB onto ISPO and RSPO, and methodological approaches. The analysis revealed that literature exploring ISPO and RSPO certification practices dominates the corpus, with 110 articles (67.07%). A total of 46 articles (28.05%) focused on the theoretical application of TPB within agricultural and certification contexts. Two smaller yet significant categories, each representing 2.44%, mapped TPB to RSPO and ISPO, respectively. Quantitative approaches (47%) were the most prevalent, demonstrating the significant role of TPB in explaining adoption behaviour, although its explicit application within the ISPO context remains limited. Theoretical and qualitative methods (35%) were underutilised, while mixed-method studies accounted for only 18%. The novelty of this research lies in its systematic mapping across theoretical, policy, and methodological domains. Its originality is reflected in the integration of behavioural and policy perspectives within the sustainability context of the palm oil sector. The study concludes that further exploration of TPB in ISPO contexts and methodological diversification in future research are both urgently needed.

Keywords: Systematic Literature Review; ISPO; RSPO; Theory of Planned Behavior; Sustainability Certiϐication Palm Oil

References