Enhancing supply chain stability, resilience and sustainability through improved sub-supplier management –chocolate and cotton apparel case studies

Summary in the original language of the document

Lead
We developed and applied methods for assessing the sustainability and resilience of cocoa supply chains and evaluated interventions for improvement in a transdisciplinary setting. Our results contribute to improving the sustainability and resilience of the global chains that supply the Swiss market.
Background
Swiss chocolate makers are increasingly held accountable for the environmental, social, and economic impacts of their supply chains. Despite numerous sustainability initiatives, many challenges remain, and diverse supply chain actors need to build resilience to better face increasing shocks in global chains. Addressing sustainability and resilience in supply chains requires an understanding of the current situation, the major challenges, and the effectiveness of sustainable sourcing practices.
Aim
The project followed three aims:
1) To assess the sustainability of specific supply chains providing cocoa to the Swiss market. Based on these results, we could then design, implement, and evaluate targeted interventions.
2) To evaluate the relationships between diverse supply chain partners and how farmers view the sustainable sourcing practices in their supply chain.
3) To advance resilience research by developing and testing a farm-level resilience assessment framework.