About

Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO) and the University of Oxford Smith School of Enterprise and Environment have joined together to start an exciting new interdisciplinary research initiative focused on advancing sustainability and regenerative economy approaches within the palm oil sector.

MSPO and Oxford University will work together across the palm oil value chain to bring practitioner experience, academic leadership, scientific rigour, and evidence-based insights together. The project aims to co-create research directions with diverse sector stakeholders including smallholder farmers and multinational growers, as well as supply chain companies, government agencies, NGOs, and academia, to ensure relevance and impact.

The project focuses on three key thematic areas:

• Nature Recovery and Net Zero Alignment

  Exploring how the palm oil sector can transition from minimising environmental impact to actively promoting nature restoration in line with global biodiversity targets and Net Zero commitments.

• Nature-based Solutions (NbS) for Agricultural Resilience

  Identifying ways to harness nature to enhance climate and economic resilience for both smallholders and large-scale producers.

• Social Equity and Livelihoods

  Exploring the opportunities for improving income resilience, community livelihoods, and gender inclusivity in the palm oil sector.
  This exciting collaboration will advance knowledge, policy and innovation for a climate-resilient, nature-positive, regenerative and inclusive palm oil sector.

This exciting collaboration will advance knowledge, policy and innovation for a climate-resilient, nature-positive, regenerative and inclusive palm oil sector.