Relational aspects and care-based support in Zero-Deforestation Commitments

A rising number of companies have made zero-deforestation commitments (ZDCs) to decouple deforestation from their supply chains, encapsulated in No Deforestation, No Peat, and No Exploitation (NDPE) commitments. These interventions are designed by powerful downstream supply chain actors, typically without the involvement of the upstream-level non-industrial producers who are affected both directly and indirectly. This study draws on bottom-up perspectives from oil palm smallholders, cooperatives, and other local stakeholders in Indonesia to explore the state of company-community relationships and the implementation and expectations of corporate ZDCs. Through an analysis of 28 focus group discussions and 25 expert interviews in two provinces in Sumatra, Indonesia, our findings reveal significant gaps in procedural equity, highlighting inadequate mechanisms for voicing concerns, insufficient procedures for meaningful participation, and a lack of attention to expected implementation procedures. Most importantly, we uncover the critical need to recognise historical and ongoing relationships between communities and companies when designing corporate sustainability policies. Recognising equity as an evolving concept that ideally should be shaped by contextual realities, our study advocates for the integration of relational aspects and care-based support into ZDCs, complementing the current understanding of equity.