The University of Bath has secured £2.5 million in funding from the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) Forest Governance, Markets and Climate (FGMC) Programme to lead a major international research project aimed at tackling deforestation linked to global commodity supply chains.
The multi-year transdisciplinary project, led by Professor Yixian Sun from the Department of Social and Policy Sciences, Director of the Bath Centre for Earth System Governance, and a core member of the Bath Institute of Sustainability and Climate Change (ISCC), will explore how policy can better support sustainable production and trade of forest-risk commodities such as palm oil, natural rubber, coffee and cocoa.
Titled ‘Understanding policy changes and applying anticipatory design to improve governance for sustainable forest-risk commodities’ (AnDforFRC), it brings together a global consortium of leading universities and partners from across Europe, Asia, Africa and North America.
Global supply chains
Producing certain products (like beef, soy, and palm oil) is a chief cause of forest clearance and degradation globally, with most deforestation linked to agriculture; but policymakers often don’t have the evidence or practical tools they need to address this problem effectively.
By bringing together key stakeholders from government, business and communities along global supply chains, AnDforFRC will help to find better ways to reduce deforestation and promote sustainable production and consumption of forest-risk commodities.
A key part of the work is using ‘anticipatory design’, an approach that helps people think ahead about future risks, and work together through multi-stakeholder dialogues to develop practical solutions.
International collaboration
The research will focus on key producer and consumer countries, including Indonesia, Vietnam and Cameroon, as well as major markets such as China, the UK and the European Union.
Led by the University of Bath, the project partners include Universitas Gadjah Mada in Indonesia, the University of Victoria and the University of British Columbia in Canada, the University of Freiburg in Germany, the University of International Business and Economics in China, and the National University of Singapore.
Together, the team will study how policies and business decisions affect deforestation, and bring governments, industry and civil society together to share ideas and find solutions.
Impact
As well as producing new research, the project has been designed to make a real-world impact by working directly with policymakers and practitioners. It will develop practical ideas and guidance to help move towards zero-deforestation supply chains, while strengthening collaboration between governments, businesses and civil society across regions.
The work will also help improve transparency in global supply chains and support more inclusive decision-making, including greater involvement of underrepresented groups.
Overall, the project aims to improve how these commodities are managed and support more sustainable and fair global trade.
Professor Yixian Sun said: “Deforestation is a global problem that no single country or sector can solve alone. By bringing together researchers, governments, businesses and communities across the globe, we can develop practical solutions that work for both producers and consumers, and help move global supply chains of forest-risk commodities towards zero deforestation and just transition. We're grateful to the FCDO’s FGMC programme for their support."
Project partner Professor Li Li of the University of International Business and Economics (UIBE) said: “In today's global agricultural supply chains, consumer countries' demand for sustainable products is not always aligned with producers' needs and capacity. I'm excited to be part of this global consortium, led by the University of Bath, to identify the real needs of different stakeholders and develop win-win solutions for the production and consumption of forest-risk commodities.”