Palm oil: what stops people from buying more sustainable products?

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2021-08-19 04:00

Australia; New Zealand

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About half of Australian consumers hadn’t ever bought products containing sustainable palm oil, in a first-of-its-kind study that surveyed 781 people. Lack of awareness about the problems with producing palm oil lowered the perceived availability of sustainably produced palm oil products, and fewer pro-green consumption attitudes were the main barriers to buying them. The authors say that to boost the use of sustainable palm oil, interventions will not only need to raise overall concern for the environment and feelings of personal responsibility and efficacy - but also lift awareness about the palm oil issue itself, and help consumers find sustainable products.