Community Perspectives on Sustainable Innovation through Palm Frond Utilization in Oman

Agricultural residue valorization offers opportunities to connect resource efficiency, local enterprise, and cultural heritage. This study examined community perspectives on the economic, environmental, and cultural value of palm-frond utilization in Oman and barriers to production and commercialization. A mixed-method study combined a purposively recruited questionnaire survey of 108 participants with face-to-face interviews involving six community members. Survey data were analyzed descriptively, and interviews were examined through content analysis. The five-item agreement scale had a Cronbach’s alpha of .816 and an overall mean of 4.20 (SD = .618). Waste reduction received the highest item rating (M = 4.38). Handcrafted-product sales were the most frequently selected economic benefit (75 selections), while lower pollution was the most frequently selected environmental benefit (80 selections). Among 102 recorded challenge selections, limited public awareness (26 selections) and weak demand (24 selections) ranked highest. Interviews connected palm-frond crafts with inherited knowledge, household livelihoods, resource reuse, and the need for market and institutional support. The findings indicate favorable perceptions alongside commercialization constraints. They do not establish profitability, emissions reductions, material performance, or policy effectiveness. The study recommends producer support, product development, collection systems, and product-specific evaluation of demand, costs, and environmental performance. Its contribution is a community-informed basis for developing and evaluating palm-frond initiatives within Oman’s wider sustainability agenda. Keywords: Palm Fronds, Date-Palm Residues, Sustainable Innovation, Circular Economy, Community Perspectives, Oman, Heritage Crafts