WBF's Panel Discussions at Fruit Attraction 24 - REPORTS ACCESSIBLE

The World Banana Forum (WBF) organized tree meetings on Global Value Chain Sustainability at Fruit Attraction 2024 (FA24). These panel discussions featured a wide range of stakeholder groups and addressed the following topics: (1) Impact of the CSDDD on fruit trade, (2) living wages, living income and fair prices, and (3) certifications challenges and solutions.
Dates: 8-10 October 2024
Location: Fruit Forum - Hall 1
Summary reports: Accessible below
AGENDA
Expected Impacts of the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) on Global Fruit Trade and National Markets
Date: Tuesday, 8 October 2024 — 13:00 – 14:30
The recently approved Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) marks a significant milestone in global regulatory efforts to promote sustainable and responsible business practices. The directive mandates that companies operating within the EU, as well as those trading with the EU, adhere to rigorous standards of environmental protection, human rights, and ethical governance throughout their supply chains. The session focused on the implications of the CSDDD within the banana global value chain, specifically examining its application in importing and producing countries. The discussion explored how different parts of the banana value chain will be affected by these new requirements. Key covered topics included the impact on banana producers in terms of compliance costs and operational changes, the role of retailers in supporting the implementation of the directive, and the responsibilities of governments in both producing and importing countries. Additionally, the event addressed the global implications of the CSDDD for sustainability and ethical governance within the banana industry. By bringing together key stakeholders such as representatives from the World Banana Forum Secretariat, producer associations, retailers, and government officials from both importing and exporting countries, this event contributed to foster dialogue and collaboration, driving forward the agenda for a more sustainable and fair banana industry.
Moderator:
- Mr. Victor Prada, Secretary, World Banana Forum (WBF) Secretariat
Panelists:
- H.E. Danilo Palacios, Minister of Agriculture and Livestock, Ecuador
- Ms. Laura López Salazar, General Manager, Foreign Trade Promotion Agency of Costa Rica (PROCOMER)
- Ms. Marike de Peña, Chair, Latin American and Caribbean Network of Fairtrade Small Producers and Workers (CLAC)
- Mr. Emerson Aguirre, President, Association of Colombian Banana Growers (AUGURA)
- Mr. Omar Sánchez Rojas, Assistant Manager, National Banana Corporation (CORBANA)
- Mr. José Antonio Hidalgo, Executive Director, Association of Ecuador Banana Exporters (AEBE)
- Mr. Peter Stedman, Sustainability Director, Chiquita
- Mr. Xavier Roussel, Chief Marketing and Sustainability Officer, Dole Food Company
Is it possible to pay living wages, living income and fair prices in fruit production?
Date: Wednesday, 9 October 2024 — 10:00 – 11:30 am
The Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) requires businesses to conduct thorough due diligence, identifying, preventing, mitigating, and addressing adverse impacts on workers' rights throughout their supply chains. Those adverse impacts include safe working conditions, and respect for fundamental labour rights such as living wages and living income making companies accountable and promoting ethical and sustainable business practices globally. Recently the International Labour Organization (ILO) has reached an agreement on the issue of living wages recognizing that the estimation of living wages should follow a number of principles, including the usage of evidence-based methodologies and robust data, consultations with worker and employer organizations, transparency, public availability, and the consideration of regional and local contexts, and socio-economic and cultural realities. In this context, the panel discussed the implications of the CSDDD in the estimation and operationalization of living wages and living income in global banana value chains, from different points of view. Discussions allowed for a clearer understanding of the practical challenges and opportunities that come with implementing living wages and living income in the industry. The panel also explored the roles that different stakeholders play in ensuring compliance with the CSDDD, such as the responsibilities of producers to their workers, the role of retailers in ensuring fair pricing, the role of policy makers and the importance of transparency and accountability throughout the value chain.
Moderator:
- Mr. Victor Prada, Secretary, World Banana Forum (WBF) Secretariat
Panelists:
- H.E. Danilo Palacios, Minister of Agriculture and Livestock, Ecuador
- Ms. Silvia Campos, Senior Advisor Banana, Fairtrade International
- Ms. Nina Kuppetz, Project Manager, German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ)
- Ms. Amanda Penn, Senior Partnerships Manager, Sustainable Trade Initiative (IDH)
- Mr. Felix Strauss, Team Lead International Sustainability, ALDI SOUTH Group
- Mr. José Antonio Hidalgo, Executive Director, Association of Ecuador Banana Exporters (AEBE)
- Mr. Emerson Aguirre, President, Association of Colombian Banana Growers (AUGURA)
- Mr. Mariano Jiménez Zeledón, Legal and Corporate Affairs Manager, National Banana Corporation (CORBANA)
- Mr. Jean-François Billot, Secretary-General, AFRUIBANA
Can a Global Multi-Stakeholder Agreement Lower Certification and Audit Costs?
Date: Thursday, 10 October 2024 — 10:00 – 11:30 am
Producers currently face the challenge of complying with multiple certification schemes and increasing regulations on living wages, climate change, and other critical issues. These diverse requirements often overlap, leading to repetitive audit processes and imposing additional costs on already financially strained producers. Members of the World Banana Forum recognize the necessity of adhering to international standards but emphasize the need for effective support mechanisms to reduce costs and streamline compliance procedures. By engaging producers, retailers and certification bodies, the session addressed the possibility of a common framework that aligns standards and investigate solutions to reduce certification and audit costs through an open multistakeholder dialogue. A key focus revolved around how the new EU’s Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive can support the development of mutual recognition among standards to significantly reduce redundancies and streamline the certification process.
Moderator:
- Mr. Victor Prada, Secretary, World Banana Forum (WBF) Secretariat
Panelists:
- Mr. José Antonio Hidalgo, Executive Director, Association of Ecuador Banana Exporters (AEBE)
- Mr. José Francisco Zúñiga, President, Association of Banana Growers of Magdalena and La Guajira (ASBAMA)
- Mr. Hilario Pellegrini, Executive, Producer Association from Dominican Republic (ADOBANANO)
- Mr. Mariano Jiménez Zeledón, Legal and Corporate Affairs Manager, National Banana Corporation (CORBANA)
- Mr. Peter d'Angremond, Executive Director, Fairtrade Netherlands
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Mr. Angelo Lazo, Technical Key Account Manager Latin America, GLOBALG.A.P.
- Mr. José Madriz, Banana Product Link, Latin American and Caribbean Network of Fairtrade Small Producers and Workers (CLAC)
- Mr. Eduardo López, Key Account Manager for the Fruit Sector, Rainforest Alliance