“Relational aspects and care-based support in Zero-Deforestation Commitments”, published in PLOS Sustainability & Transformation (May 2026).

The study draws on 28 focus group discussions and 25 expert interviews with oil palm smallholders, cooperatives, and local stakeholders in Sumatra, Indonesia — and asks a simple but underexplored question: what do the communities most affected by corporate zero-deforestation commitments (ZDCs) actually think of them? 

The findings reveal persistent gaps in procedural equity: communities lack meaningful channels to voice concerns, have little say in shaping corporate sustainability policies, and feel ignored by the companies they supply. Drawing on the ethics of care literature, the paper argues that companies must recognize the historical relationships and long-standing grievances that shape how their policies are received on the ground — and that trust-building and genuine care for supplier communities are not optional extras, but prerequisites for effective sustainability governance. 

The article was published in the open-access journal PLOS Sustainability and Transformation.