Sustainable Coconut Charter V2.0
is adopted
Principles & Ambitions
to enable
Market Transformation through Assurance
The V2.0
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We are thrilled to announce a significant leap forward in the pursuit of catalyzing sustainable coconut practices – the successful industry adoption of a revised Sustainable Coconut Charter version 2.0.
This revised charter introduces new principles and ambitious goals addressing key facets of supply chain management, social responsibility, and biodiversity conservation.
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The industry now sets off to build a game changing, inclusive assurance system
The updated Sustainable Coconut Charter is designed to be the basis of a new and inclusive, step wise assurance system responding to the lack of uptake and market transformation of current schemes in global markets recognizing that most coconut farmers and companies do not benefit nor engage in enough in current sustainability assurance systems due to heavy investment requirements in supply chains where farmers are mostly unorganized and trapped in vicious circles of poverty.
“The new assurance system will be piloted by members in 2024”
said Karen Thyvia Lourdes, Global Sustainable Sourcing Leader, Sugar and Coconut at Nestlé.
About
“The Sustainable Coconut Partnership believes in continuous improvement and getting progress. For this revision, we are undertaking a review of the current charter with the Accountability Framework in line with codes of good practices for voluntary standards, as well as a comprehensive review of industry practices to ensure we make a step towards progress versus thriving for perfection in a long, complex supply chain at a time where traceability is still a challenge in most origins globally”
Gregory Bardies, Executive Director, Sustainable Coconut Partnership
About the 2023 Sustainable Coconut Charter review
Review Overview
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The Sustainable Coconut Partnership launched an ambitious revision of the Sustainable Coconut Charter – the key market instrument to drive the coconut sector towards a more sustainable, more equitable and climate-friendly future.
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What to expect
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The Partnership is initiating its first review cycle of the Charter’s principles and ambitions and the development of tools needed to help make supply chains ready for sustainable change.
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The revision process bringing together peer companies and other stakeholders to define shared goals and scale up sustainable supply chains at the sectoral level to:
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Review and streamline areas of focus ensuring the comprehensiveness and relevance of the Sustainable Coconut Charter and its future assurance scheme.
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Inform on the shape of the upcoming assurance scheme of the Sustainable Coconut Charter
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Set a common criterion for a supply chain transparency & traceability in light of existing bottlenecks and loss of traceability to increase transparency by focusing on practical and achievable progress in a partnership spirit along the supply chains.
Sustainable Coconut Charter V1.0
Setting a global benchmark for sustainable coconut origins
The Sustainable Coconut Charter was developed as an industry wide first endeavour to define coconut sustainability. The charter was conceived in 2020 and received more than 100 inputs from various stakeholders engaged directly and indirectly in coconut supply chains
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It has been conceived as a guidance first, not a new auditable or verifiable standard in a long, complex supply chain at a time where traceability is still a challenge in most origins globally
It aims to:
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Outlines areas of focus, principles and outcomes that should be expected of sustainability programs in coconut supply chains based on multi-stakeholder consultations.
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Harmonize buyers’ requirements for supply chain partners
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Helps companies and sustainability schemes define, benchmark and gain confidence in their sustainability practices for coconut
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Streamline action towards meaningful pre-competitive collaboration and mutually recognized, robust sustainability programs
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(Version september 2020. Authors Natcha Tulyasuwan, Gregory Bardies, Binod Chapagain)
