Press releases

ITC launches SustainabilityXchange to boost sharing of knowledge and best practices

21 May 2014
ITC News

(Geneva) The International Trade Centre (ITC) today unveiled SustainabilityXchange, an online forum which provides practitioners of sustainable trade with easy access to a wealth of information. Launched at the Global Sustainability Standards Conference in London, SustainabilityXchange is an interactive platform that allows users to pool and exchange information, resources and experiences related to sustainable production and trade.
  
‘It’s not enough to grow, to trade, to exchange, to produce – we need to do this in a sustainable manner,’ said ITC Executive Director Arancha González. ‘We want this to be a collaborative space where people exchange best practices and get answers to the questions that they have, that no one has been able to answer so far.’

SustainabilityXchange provides crucial services to people working in the agriculture, forestry and aquaculture sectors, including a library of training materials, a calendar of upcoming training events, and a directory of trainers, consultants and other service providers. It also includes a discussion forum and a newsroom featuring the latest news related to sustainable development.

Users, including representatives of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and trade support institutions, as well as trainers and policymakers, can use the platform to promote services and share materials. Through improved access to relevant information, SMEs can learn to become more competitive in global markets.

SustainabilityXchange encourages the sharing of knowledge to foster sustainable social development, poverty reduction and economic growth, particularly in developing countries. By tailoring its services to those working in agriculture and related fields, the platform targets the single largest employer in the world. Agriculture provides livelihoods for 40% of the population, and it is also the largest source of income and jobs for poor rural households.

SustainabilityXchange is powered by the international development organization Hivos, the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), UTZ Certified, 4C Association, and the Sustainable Trade Initiative (IDH), and it is implemented by ITC, Fair Access to Quality, Fair & Sustainable, and Helvetas Swiss Intercooperation.

For more information, please visit www.sustainabilityxchange.info or contact SustainabilityXchange[at]intracen.org.

 

Note to Editor:

ITC is the joint agency of the World Trade Organization and the United Nations. ITC assists small and medium-sized enterprises in developing and transition economies to become more competitive in global markets, thereby contributing to sustainable economic development within the frameworks of the Aid for Trade agenda and the Millennium Development Goals.