Ethical Sourcing Exchange (UEBT/UNCTAD)

The exchange was divided into four sessions:

1. Certifying credible company programs: solution for upscaling?;
2. Enhancing biodiversity conservation and restoration in supply chains;
3. Engaging smallholders in Ethical BioTrade supply chains;
4. Joint actions to address supply chain challenges.

During the first session, the challenges of implementing the UEBT standard at the company level were discussed. The key to an effective certification is to involve the local communities, build trust, increase the transparency and invest in human capital and productive resources. The benefits of certification to upscale BioTrade were also underlined such as limiting the risk for the supply chain, increasing the trust at different levels, broaden the opportunities to reach new consumers, etc.

The second session, Enhancing biodiversity conservation and restoration in supply chains, debated the importance of biodiversity action plans. Considering a landscape approach, beginning with a baseline assessment, including awareness raising, supporting the biodiversity research for mapping and learning in-situ and ex-situ conservation were some of the considerations that could improve those action plans.

The session on smallholders in ethical BioTrade supply chains focused on the capacity for producers to build resilience when face with environmental and/or financial shocks. The necessity to have easier standards is important in this regard. To change perceptions and drive motivation, there is a need of provision of investment and security, which usually means that a large motivated buyer should be involved. However, it is good to remember that each model is different.

The last session addressed the challenges of a supply chain, taking as an example the carnauba in Brazil. A way to overcome the producer level resistance can come from a company’s guaranteed system. The message of the day was: building trust with the local communities can make big changes.

These activities are developed by UNCTAD with the support of the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs SECO under the Global BioTrade Programme: Linking trade, biodiversity and sustainable development (April 2018–March 2022).

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