Client: International Trade Centre
Project: ESG assessments & sustainable value chain development
Date: 2022 - Ongoing
International Trade Centre - Sustainable value chain development
The International Trade Centre (ITC) is a joint agency of the UN and World Trade Organisation, focused on trade-related cooperation in developing countries.
Members of the Ripple Research team are advising UN-ITC in evolving its Green and Inclusive Value Chains (GIVC) section’s efforts to design sustainable market-driven solutions for smallholder farmers and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in regions across Africa.
Ripple Research’s team holds decades of experience in the development of sustainable value chains and advising private and public sector organisations on issues related to human rights due diligence, risk management and capacity building.
As part of this programme and in conjunction with the Netherlands Trust Fund V (NTF V), there is a focus on value chain development projects related to the harvesting of coffee, cocoa and cashew nuts in countries such as Ethiopia, Ghana and Senegal.
With mandatory human rights and environmental due diligence (MHREDD) becoming a marker for responsible and sustainable business practices, the team is contributing to the development of ESG frameworks targeted at specific MSMEs in developing regions.
Our involvement entails reviewing and creating due diligence reporting and risk assessment tools for ESG frameworks targeted at MSMEs. By identifying existing gaps through data collection and analysis, we are working to design sustainability strategies and templates that can be applied across the board. Our efforts seek to build online capacity and facilitate coaching on these topics and related matters such as market development, climate-smart operations, digitalisation and developing investment strategies.
This will be in the hope to encourage the cultivation of resilient, sustainable business and production models, promote public-private sector alliances and nurture commercialisation opportunities in the Global South.