Compliance patterns in adopting sustainability practices: A cluster analysis of oil palm producers in Colombia

This study analyzes the adoption patterns of sustainability practices among oil palm producers in Colombia using cluster analysis of the Sustainability Index (SI). Employing advanced data mining algorithms, including K-means and Ward's method, producers were grouped according to their compliance with sustainable practices at national and regional levels. The analysis revealed ten distinct producer typologies, ranging from "Advanced adopters" to "Lagging adopters" in economic, environmental, and social sustainability dimensions. Key factors influencing cluster formation included palm-growing area, producer scale, age, and gender. At the same time, the Palm Nucleus (organizational model for fruit commercialization) emerged as a significant variable at the regional level. Our findings challenge the conventional notion that adoption of sustainability practices is primarily scale-dependent, showing that contextual factors play a crucial role across all producer categories. This research underscores the importance of more nuanced, context-specific technological extension strategies. By providing a comprehensive understanding of adoption patterns, this study contributes to developing tailored interventions that can effectively promote sustainable practices in the Colombian oil palm sector, regardless of producer characteristics.