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
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
Work Package 2 (Agricultural Commodities) Scoping Report
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 2019
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
MASTERS THESIS 2020