We are pleased to invite you to the World Banana Forum's Meetings on Global Value Chain Sustainability in the premises of Fruit Attraction 2023.

The World Banana Forum is hosting six sessions to discuss and address sustainability issues of vitual importance for the global banana value chain such as Living Wages, Shared Responsibility, the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive, Climate Change and others.

Dates: 2-5 October 2023

Places:
- South Convention Centre Room S11 - IFEMA (2 October) 
- Hall 4-6 - Fresh Food Logistic Summit - IFEMA (3-5 October)

Mark your calendar and be part of the change! Together, we can shape the future of the global banana value chain.

*Expenses to participate will be covered by participants

WATCH ONLINE HERE

AGENDA

Moderator of the Sessions:

• Victor Prada (WBF Secretariat)

02 October

15:00 - 18:00 WBF Multi-stakeholder coordination meeting – Living Wages & Living Income in the banana industry. Routes for effective and inclusive cooperation
Place: South Convention Centre - Room S11 (Map here)

The objective of this meeting will be to conjointly take decisions following several multi-stakeholder roundtables on priority issues surrounding Living Wages, shared responsibility, and others. The aim is to reach a consensus between all relevant industry actors on an concrete decision to move forward with activities to achieve align all previous efforts and discussions under one framework.

-----

03 October

15:00 - 15:30 The EU Directive on corporate sustainability due diligence. Prospects, opportunities and challenges for the effective implementation of the approved measures
Place: Hall 4-6 - Fresh Food Logistic Summit (Map here)

The proposal for a Directive on Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence addresses not only the issue of living wages, but also other social and environmental threats to the sustainability of the supply chain, such as child labour and carbon emissions. Aggravated by recent global events, such as the war in Ukraine, the COVID-19 pandemic, transportation complications, inflation and Fusarium wilt TR4, banana producers in the Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) region are under increasing pressure. Under the auspices of FAO’s World Banana Forum, strategies are outlined to increase the sustainability of the industry. Actors along the supply chain must understand the need for shared responsibility to adequately cover the costs of sustainable production, as well as the need for honest and respectful communication and cooperation. The requirements and responsibilities of producers, buyers, retailers and certifiers will be discussed in order to define a joint agenda on shared responsibility for sustainability

Speakers:

• Juan Gomez Riesco (European Comission - Directorate-General for Justice and Consumers)
• Pedro Faria (European Financial Reporting Advisory Group)

-----

15:30 - 17:00 Shared responsibility. Perspectives of different constituency groups
Place: Hall 4-6 - Fresh Food Logistic Summit (Map here)

The expected consequences of the European Union's Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) and the setting of fair prices for sustainable banana production are areas of focus for European retailers, who face increasing pressure to ensure a fair and sustainable price for banana producers, as a result of high-level meetings of political and commercial actors in the industry. This situation implies new models of purchasing practices, in addition to the need for tools to accurately calculate fair prices for sustainable bananas. Future actions on shared responsibility should avoid duplication of efforts and help reverse the downward spiral in banana prices, especially given rising production costs. Stakeholders across the supply chain, including civil society, governments, retailers and other public and private sectors, have a greater role in the shared responsibility and impact this legislation could have in supporting the growth of the industry. In this regard, the support of multi-stakeholder platforms such as the World Banana Forum would facilitate communication and establish practices to develop shared responsibility in the banana industry.

Speakers:

• Franka Rodriguez (Aldi-Sud)
• Richard Salazar (ACORBANEC)
• Hilario Peligrini (ADOBANANO)
• Jean-Marie Kakou Gervais (AFRUIBANA)
• José Antonio Hidalgo (AEBE)
• José Francisco Zúñiga Cotes (ASBAMA)
• Emerson Aguirre (AUGURA)
• Marike de Peña (CLAC)
• Adela Torres (COLSIBA)
• Mariano Jiménez (CORBANA)
• Silvia Campos/Wilbert Flinterman (Fairtrade International)
• Angel Rivero (FENACLE) 
• Leonie Haakshorst (Rainforest Alliance)

-----

04 October

15:00 - 16:00 Climate change. The banana industry as an example to follow. Measurement of carbon and water footprints.
Place: Hall 4-6 - Fresh Food Logistic Summit (Map here)

The banana sector is currently facing a series of interconnected environmental challenges that pose significant risks to itssustainability worldwide. Recognizing the importance of addressing these issues, members of the World Banana Forum acknowledge the need to reevaluate existing processes and practices and adopt more sustainable approaches. To facilitate this shift towards sustainability, the World Banana Forum initiated the Carbon and Water Footprint Project. The project has developed a custom methodology and a user-friendly web-based tool (CWF Tool) for measuring and ultimately reducing the carbon and water footprints of banana-producing organizations. Successfully implemented in several countries, the initiative supports banana producers in accurately assessing their emissions and water impact, enabling the implementation of action plans and strategies to optimize the use of resources and mitigate environmental impacts. Building on the success of the CWF Tool, the project has also developed a Proof of Concept for a blockchain-based distributed ledger system. This system aims to measure and trace the climate footprint throughout all stages of the banana value chain including production, transportation, ripening, and retail operations. By providing unprecedented transparency, this innovative approach could encourage greater commitment from stakeholders in the banana value chain towards climate action.

Speakers:

• Pedro Faria (European Financial Reporting Advisory Group)
• Nicanor Cabrera (Agrofair)
• José Madriz (CLAC)
• Victor Prada/Matheus Lima (WBF Secretariat)
• Sergio Laprade (CORBANA)

16:00 - 17:00 Regulation on the use of phytosanitary products and its impact on the fruit aesthetic. Is it possible to educate consumers with the help of the European Union?
Place: Hall 4-6 - Fresh Food Logistic Summit (Map here)

The intensive use of pesticides and plastics to achieve perfect-looking bananas raises significant environmental and health concerns. The EU's consumer market demands visually appealing fruits, however recent regulations to reduce pesticide applications have the potential to increase pest and disease attacks, resulting in more external defects on fruits and consequently more food waste. To address these challenges, a balanced approach that considers the update of marketing standards while finding alternatives to conventional agricultural practices is crucial. By taking an active role in educating consumers about the environmental impacts of pursuing cosmetic standards in banana production, the EU can significantly contribute to reducing the demand for visually perfect fruits and promote a more sustainable and eco-friendly fruit industry. Providing transparent information on sustainable farming methods can empower consumers to make informed choices, recognizing that fruits with minor external defects are still perfectly suitable for consumption. This, in turn, could encourage farmers to adopt environmentally responsible practices, leading to a collective effort in minimizing food waste and environmental impacts of banana production.

Speakers:

• Maria Tabernero Urbieta (European Commission - Directorate General for Health and Food Safety - Pesticides and Biocides)
• Juri Mara (European Commission - Directorate General for Agriculture and Rural Development)
• Morag Webb (COLEAD)
• Sergio Laprade (CORBANA)
• Patricio Gutierrez (DOLE)

-----

05 October

15:00 - 16:00 Is an international multi-stakeholder agreement possible to reduce certification and audit costs?
Place: Hall 4-6 - Fresh Food Logistic Summit (Map here)

Producers currently face the required use of numerous certification schemes for a number of international regulations pertaining to living wages, climate change, health and safety, and others, to be able to effectively access international markets. The varying certification schemes available in the market and requested to producers in producing countries incur additional costs on an already burdened constituent group. WBF members acknowledge the need for international regulations to be met, but balanced social dialogue must take place and producers should have the means to access support mechanisms to ensure they meet international standards, adhere to requirements from certification schemes and access international markets. Producers fear that the many requirements set out by certification schemes are increasing and thus too their costs. This session will focus on the topic of the current certification schemes available, certification costs, auditing processes, and will aim to facilitate an open multistakeholder dialogue to find solutions to reduce certification and audit costs.

Speakers: 

• Stephan Jermendy (Aldi-Sud)
• Silvia Campos/Wilbert Flinterman (Fairtrade International)
• Leonie Haakshorst (Rainforest Alliance)
• Ignacio Antequera (GlobalG.A.P.)
• Carolina Jaramillo (UNIBAN)
• José Antonio Hidalgo (AEBE)
• José Francisco Zúñiga Cotes (ASBAMA)
• Hilario Peligrini (ADOBANANO)
• Emerson Aguirre (AUGURA)
• Jorge Sauma (CORBANA)