How a decade of research in corporate sustainability and stakeholder capitalism, digital technologies, and sustainable food systems prepares me to drive impact on the ground, where it matters most.
Earthworm's most ambitious landscape programme in Malaysia, a living demonstration of how supply chain transformation, conservation, and community development converge at scale.
The Southern Central Forest Spine connects fragmented forest blocks across Johor and Pahang into a continuous ecological corridor, vital for wildlife movement, biodiversity, and climate resilience. It sits at the intersection of oil palm expansion and critical forest conservation.
Rather than working supply chain by supply chain, Earthworm engages all actors in a geography (companies, smallholders, government, communities) to create collective solutions. SCFS is a proof-of-concept for this model.
As Supply Chain Manager, this landscape is where theory meets reality. Supplier engagement, NDPE compliance, smallholder integration, and stakeholder coordination all converge here. My stakeholder capitalism research provides the analytical framework to understand and enhance these multi-stakeholder dynamics.
MPOB (formal partner), Johor & Pahang state governments, plantation companies (Sime Darby, IOI, FELDA), local communities, indigenous groups (Orang Asli), conservation NGOs, and Earthworm member companies sourcing from the region.
The palm oil supply chain is a complex, multi-layered ecosystem. Understanding who operates at each tier and where Earthworm's members sit, is fundamental to driving meaningful transformation.
MPOB (Earthworm's formal partner), MPIC (Ministry of Plantation Industries), state governments (Johor, Pahang, Sabah, Sarawak). Enforce MSPO certification, mandatory since 2020.
RSPO (Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil), CGF (Consumer Goods Forum), HCVRN (High Conservation Value Resource Network), POCG, ISPOC, where Adrian Yeo represents Earthworm.
Indigenous peoples (Orang Asli, FPIC rights), migrant workers (ethical recruitment, labour rights), local communities (land tenure, livelihoods). Protected via LTP and CSE programmes.
Earthworm doesn't just set standards; it builds practical tools and programmes that create change on the ground. Each initiative addresses a specific gap in the supply chain transformation journey.
My PhD dissertation identified three strategic dimensions of corporate sustainability in food systems. Each dimension maps directly to what Earthworm does daily in palm oil supply chains. This isn't a theoretical overlay; it's a practical framework for the work ahead.
Starling satellite monitoring, grievance mechanisms, supply chain risk assessments, deforestation alerts, protecting brands from environmental and social liability.
Traceability to mill/plantation, ART refinery approach, data governance, geolocation mapping, building the infrastructure for transparent supply chains.
Helping suppliers meet EUDR requirements, connecting smallholders to premium buyers, enabling members to demonstrate credible sustainability claims.
My first CS dimension: how stakeholder-oriented approaches reduce risk across food supply chains. Directly applicable to NDPE risk assessment and monitoring.
My second CS dimension: the systems and processes that drive efficiency and transparency. Maps to traceability infrastructure, data governance, and the ART approach.
My third CS dimension: how sustainability creates market value and competitive advantage. Directly applicable to EUDR compliance, smallholder market access, and brand positioning.
My second publication explored blockchain's role in creating decentralised, sustainable business models. This research directly informs understanding of next-generation traceability solutions for palm oil supply chains.
Published in Digital BusinessMy third publication (500+ consumer survey) examined how AI and blockchain technologies affect consumer trust in sustainable food systems, critical for understanding how Earthworm's work ultimately builds brand value for members.
Empirical · 500+ respondentsMy core theoretical lens, using Gioia methodology interviews with 10 experts, produced the framework that identifies how value is co-created across multi-stakeholder food systems. This is exactly what Earthworm does: orchestrating value creation among companies, farmers, governments, and communities.
Published in British Food JournalMy dissertation identified six distinct benefits of corporate sustainability. Each one maps to a tangible outcome Earthworm delivers for its members.
→ NDPE monitoring, Starling alerts, grievance mechanisms
→ Credible sustainability claims backed by field evidence
→ EUDR compliance, premium market access for suppliers
→ Transparent reporting, landscape-level impact stories
→ Long-term supplier engagement, landscape approach, coalition-building
→ Data-driven decision making, traceability dashboards, risk heat maps
The palm oil industry is undergoing a digital transformation driven by regulatory pressure (EUDR), consumer demand, and technological innovation. Understanding the current solution landscape, including its limitations, is essential for driving meaningful progress.
Peer-reviewed publications and doctoral research underpinning this vision document.
1. Sze, L. B. (2026). A stakeholder-oriented approach to digital technologies in sustainable urban food systems. Dissertation, Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry, University of Helsinki.
Access dissertation ↗2. Sze, L. B., Salo, J., & Tan, T. M. (2025). Integrating stakeholder capitalism in urban food systems: Benefits and key players in corporate sustainability. British Food Journal, 127(12), 4410-4428.
View article ↗3. Sze, L. B., Salo, J., & Tan, T. M. (2024). Sustainable innovation in the metaverse: Blockchain's role in new business models. Digital Business, 4(2), 100086.
View article ↗4. Sze, L. B., Salo, J., Söderlund, M., Diño, M. J. S., & Tan, T. M. (2026). How do generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) and blockchain technologies affect consumer trust formation in sustainable urban food? Under review at Technology Forecasting and Social Change Journal.
Manuscript under reviewI spent nearly a decade in Finland, a country where forests are identity, where sustainability isn't a marketing claim but a way of life. That experience fundamentally shaped how I see the relationship between people and nature.
Now, I am deliberately returning to Malaysia, not just going home, but bringing back a research framework, an international perspective, and a deep conviction that supply chain transformation is possible when you put stakeholders at the centre.
My PhD gave me the theory. My 8 years of industry experience gave me the practice. Earthworm is where I bring them together.