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Supply Chain

How organizations are working to address the myriad social, environmental and operational issues that can arise in complex supply chains

Supply Chain Partnership to Aid Small Ag Businesses Impacted by COVID

Root Capital, Keurig Dr Pepper, USAID and Ezrah Charitable Trust will help 150,000 farmers across Africa, Latin America and Indonesia; to withstand the current pandemic and build their resiliency for years to come. Read More...

The Next Frontier for Fairtrade: Living Incomes in Cocoa

Two forward-thinking brands have deepened their Fairtrade partnerships by making additional financial commitments to cocoa farmers in their supply chains. Read More...

Certifying Private-Label Brands Leads to 200% Increase in Farmer Premiums

Countless studies have shown companies no longer need to choose profits over people; valuing people and sustainability is profitable. Consumers vote every day with their dollars and are rewarding the brands that embed sustainability into their ethos. Read More...

UN Business and Human Rights Forum, Day 2: What’s New in Mandatory Human Rights ’Due Diligence’ Law?

Companies are obliged to monitor and manage environmental and human rights standards in their supply chains. This week saw major steps forward in support for enforcing human rights due diligence by law, as well as major debates in shaping the new laws. Here are my 10 takeaways from the debates. Read More...

UN Forum on Business and Human Rights, Day 1: ‘The Most Vulnerable Are Always in Your Supply Chain’

What links the two major themes to emerge from the day — COVID and climate — is the need for companies to take steps to assist vulnerable people in supply chains, and to ensure their needs are always taken into account. Read More...

Scarcity Breeding Increasingly Innovative Water-Saving Strategies in Agriculture

By incorporating new technologies and tactics into farming practices, agriculture can promote more efficient irrigation and water management — and play a major role in global water conservation and reuse. Read More...

Brands, Retailers Must Prioritize Data to Improve Purchasing Practices, Supply Chain Resiliency

After decades advocating for business that prioritizes workers and the environment alongside profitability, it is obvious to me that any efforts to pivot to address changing consumer demand and market uncertainty will be futile if workers are treated as commodities or taken for granted. Read More...

Q&A: FSC on the Role of Brands in the Fight Against Climate Change

As Forest Stewardship Council Director General Kim Carstensen explains, the certification helps brands take climate action by offering a simple way for consumers to make a difference, connected to tangible impacts in forests. Read More...

Collaboration, Not Competition, Is the Key to Affordable and Sustainable Fashion

The U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol is a knowledge-sharing platform and partnership for the entire cotton supply chain. It offers brands and retailers better access to the cotton data that they need to be more sustainable. Read More...

Did Lack of Transparency Invalidate Asia’s First Corporate Sustainability Bond?

The devil's in the details: Allegations of deforestation in Michelin’s natural rubber supply chain highlight the need for greater transparency in ‘green’ financing. Read More...

How the Cocoa Industry Can and Must Change to Tackle the Climate Crisis

Ceres’ new Investor Brief on Cocoa identifies three key challenges posed to the cocoa industry by shifting social and environmental conditions, and the actions companies can take today to mitigate the material financial risks embedded in cocoa supply chains. Read More...

Cover Crops Helped Farmers Thrive During Difficult 2019 Weather

According to an annual farmer survey conducted by the Conservation Technology Information Center, cover crops improved yields and made farms more resilient to the especially wet spring weather last year. Read More...

It Takes a Village: Driscoll’s Dives Deep into Water Stewardship

“One question we had to ask ourselves was: Are we a sustainability department or are we a company that holds water sustainability in high regard? We need to be the latter to really be successful.” Read More...

MSC: Progress Has Been Made in Sustainable Fishing, But Change Needs to Happen Faster

According to a new report, over 17% of the world’s wild marine catch is now MSC certified; but consumers, brands and retailers must all help to accelerate the pace of change. Read More...

How Fairtrade Protects Company Supply Chains — and Brand Reputations

We caught up with Peg Willingham, newly minted Executive Director of Fairtrade America, to clear up the confusion around the concept of “fair trade”; and hear why Fairtrade is more important than ever. Read More...

Primark and CottonConnect: Bringing Sustainable Cotton from Field to Fashion

Primark’s Sustainable Cotton Programme — potentially the largest independent programme managed by a fashion retailer — enables it to trace the source of its sustainable cotton, right down to the community it was grown in. Read More...

Business Resiliency: How Social Responsibility Has Strengthened Driscoll’s Farming Communities

Driscoll’s President Soren Bjorn discusses creating shared value within its business and local communities. Read More...

Why Self-Regulation of Cocoa Sourcing Is a Conflict of Interest

Without oversight or a watchdog, what imperative do companies have to make a tangible impact on the livelihoods of cocoa farmers over increasing profit margins?  Read More...

Report: Unlocking Manufacturer Innovation Key to Achieving Circular Fashion

With the COVID-19 and climate crises threatening industry’s dominant business model — which is based on continued growth in production — circular models will need to be at the heart of fashion’s growth plans going forward. Read More...

Cosmetics Brands Leading Big Shift on Biodiversity

A new report reveals the top 10 lessons learned by a group of more than 50 leaders in the cosmetics, food and personal care industries that source with respect for people and biodiversity. Read More...

Upcoming Events

December 11-12, 2024
SB Member Network: Shifting Customer Behavior and Demand December Member Meeting
Member Event
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March 18-19, 2025
SB'25 Tokyo Marunouchi
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