DISCUSSION PAPER     2022

This paper discusses how we can link together local and national level measures on sustainable trade for agricultural commodities, such as soy, with international policy and private sector initiatives working towards the same goal.

DISCUSSION PAPER     2022

This paper discusses what the role of supply chain actors, such as retailers, financiers and traders, should be in addressing production-level sustainability impacts.

DISCUSSION PAPER     2021

Whether trade is ‘good’ or ‘bad’ for our societies and the environment has been a topic of ongoing debate. This brief is a simple overview of some of the costs and benefits associated with trade, and why it is an important subject.

 

DISCUSSION PAPER     2021

Global economies increasingly depend upon international trade to deliver their goods and services, and, in recent years, there has been an explosion of information and data that should – in theory – help to unpack the complexity of global supply chains. This brief shows how supply chain actors and policy makers have a large role to play as ‘info-mediaries’ who enable information disclosure, supporting the development of monitoring and assessment frameworks into which these data solutions can feed.

DISCUSSION PAPER     2021

The development of global agricultural value chains has been widely promoted as an economic development strategy in recent years. However useful for GDP growth, the intensification of production and global trade has imposed a heavy burden on the planet and people, with negative impacts such as deforestation and associated increase in carbon emissions, violation of human rights and impoverishment of rural livelihoods. This article highlights one framework to understand the social impacts of trade, underlines how mainstream value-chain approaches have a limited effectiveness, and calls for a better
coordination on the delivery of global sustainable development goals.

REPORTS

GCRF TRADE Hub 2022 Impact Report

REPORT  2023

This report was produced internally by TRADE Hub, and outlines the Hub’s contribution to addressing the major problem of unsustainable trade as of 2022. This report details the organisation of the TRADE Hub and its more specific objectives within trade, as well as detailing some big wins so far.

REPORT   2023

This report presents key outcomes from the Stakeholders Consultation in Latin America and the Caribbean. The consultation convened a diversity of stakeholders from governments, business, smallholders, indigenous peoples and local communities (IPLCs), commodity organizations, civil society, academia and international organizations, who discussed and identified priorities, challenges and opportunities in the region, and provided recommendations for impact-driven and actionable solutions to move towards a sustainable and inclusive nature-positive trading system

REPORT  2023

This report outlines opportunities to promote synergies between the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework on sustainable trade at the WTO.

Transformative Trade: Three guiding principles for inducing a positive change towards sustainability

REPORT  2022

This report produces three guiding principles for inducing a positive change towards sustainability in regards to global trade. 

REPORT  2022

This report was produced by the TRADE Hub and provides Brazilian stakeholders and other global actors with a policy toolkit for sustainable soybean trade. It assesses the relationships between different soybean policies and outlines ways they can be better harmonised.

BOOKLET  2022

The TRADE Hub describes its contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals, along with how to build back better from COVID-19 while advancing the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

REPORT  2022

This report was produced internally by TRADE Hub, and outlines the Hub’s contribution to addressing the major problem of unsustainable trade. This report details the organisation of the TRADE Hub and its more specific objectives within trade, as well as detailing some big wins so far.

 

REPORT  2022

As part of UKRI GCRF TRADE Hub’s work on the impacts of global agricultural trade on
people, a literature review of the social impacts of the coffee trade was undertaken. This report focuses on understanding social initiatives to reduce negative socio-economic impacts, such as social certification schemes and farmer’s cooperatives.

 

REPORT  2022

This paper assesses whether or not the socioeconomic benefits of soy production offset its environmental consequences in Brazil. Data covers all Brazillian municipalities over the time period of 1991 – 2010, the period of rapid soy expansion. 

POLICY PRIMER     2021

Part 1 of this paper introduces  readers to the state of the world’s biodiversity, as well as drivers and
impacts of biodiversity loss. Part 2 then reviews international commitments, instruments, nature-related priorities, and the state of play on relevant international policymaking. In Part 3, the paper explores linkages between trade flows and biodiversity. Part 4 focuses on the intersection of trade policy and biodiversity goals, while Part 5 reviews supply-chain initiatives, including those led by stakeholders across the wider trade and biodiversity landscape. Finally, the paper proposes a number of priority areas for enhanced policy dialogue, research and action.

SYSTEMATIC REVIEW/ REPORT     2021

As part of UKRI GCRF TRADE Hub’s work on the impacts of global agricultural trade on
people, a literature review of the social impacts of coffee trade and the effects of policy
interventions as empirically found in studies was undertaken. This was with the overarching
aim of understanding the social impacts of coffee trade, and how these are modified by
interventions. To assess this, the concept of multi-dimensional well-being was employed.

SYSTEMATIC REVIEW/ REPORT     2021

This report, as part of UKRI GCRF TRADE Hub’s work on the impact of global agricultural trade on people, presents a systematic literature review of the direct and indirect social impacts of soybean agricultural production for trade. The report employs the concept of multi-dimensional well-being to classify the various direct social impacts that have been found in the literature and the concept of ecosystem services to classify the indirect social impacts, i.e., contribution to well-being of natural ecosystems.

REPORT     2021

This report by the GCRF TRADE Hub provides an overview of how social and environmental criteria have been addressed in international trade relations, with emphasis on the Brazilian grain and beef markets.

Also available in Portuguese here.

REPORT     2020

This report is the GCRF TRADE Hub’s contribution to the Dasgupta Review, and it formed the basis for Chapter 15 – Trade and the Biosphere in the Review. Click here for the full Dasgupta Review of the Economics of Biodiversity

REPORT     2020

The role of traders and banks involved in the Brazil-China soy supply chain

REPORT     2020

A focus on blockchain to enhance the traceability of soy

REPORT     2019

A summary focusing on soft commodity supply chains

SCOPING REPORTS

REPORT     2020

This report takes stockof the existing literature and data, analysing the evolution of global soybean trade flows and the related implications for society and environment.

REPORTS/ PAPERS FROM TRADE HUB COLLABORATIONS

POLICY BRIEF     2022

This policy brief examines the European Union-Mercosur Trade Agreement which is expected to improve Brazil’s agri-food market access into the EU. It looks at the role this agreement has in trade-related habitat loss and different commodity trades, such as soy. 

 WORKING PAPER     2022

A multijurisdictional study from the International Bamboo and Rattan Association, this paper analyses bamboo and timber trading regulations in the European Union, United States, Japan, India, Singapore, Korea, Australia and Canada. It also reviews international policies related to bamboo.

Gendered impacts of falling rubber prices. Changing livelihood strategies in China’s
rubber heartland

WORKING PAPER     2022

A report from World Agroforestry, this paper examines the impacts of falling rubber prices on local livelihoods, rubber production and gender differences in the Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture in Yunnan Province of China; China’s rubber heartland.

TECHNICAL PAPER     2021

Pathways Forward

This paper is the output of a project on greening international trade at the Global Governance Centre, the Forum on Trade, Environment & the SDGs (TESS) and Chatham House, the Royal Institute of International Affairs, funded by WWF-UK. It was produced in collaboration with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Trade, Development and Environment (TRADE) Hub, financed by the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF).

 

Reducing the Risk of Future Emerging Infectious Disease Outbreaks by Changing Social Norms Around Urban Bushmeat Consumption and Stopping Its Commercial Trade


REPORT 2020

A report from WCS Central Africa on reducing  the risk of future emerging infectious disease outbreaks through social and political bushmeat measures. 

This report demonstrates that reducing the risk of future emerging infectious disease outbreaks by changing social norms around urban bushmeat consumption and stopping its commercial trade should be a priority for governments, the international community, and local populations across the region. 

REPORT     2020

A report on sustainable resource trade and the role of trade policy therein, developed by the UNEP Global Resource Panel, and UNEP- Environment and Trade Hub was launched by  UNEP Executive Director Inger Anderson during the WTO Trade and Environment week.

The report revealed that many resource-intensive processes have shifted from high-income importing countries to low-income resource exporting countries, with a corresponding shift in associated environmental burden. The report indicates that appropriate policies are needed to address these adverse impacts of trade and outlines options for policy action at the multilateral and the regional level, in the overall context of a global move towards a circular economy.

 

WORKSHOP REPORTS

WORKSHOP REPORT     2022

WORKSHOP REPORT     2022

THESES

MASTERS THESIS     2020

Submitted to the University of Cambridge in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Studies in Sustainability Leadership

MASTERS THESIS     2020

Masters Thesis submitted to the University of Copenhagen