Global BioTrade Facilitation Programme: Linking trade, biodiversity and sustainable development

In 2003, UNCTAD launched the BioTrade Facilitation Programme, which helps enterprises in developing countries (for example small, medium, and community-based enterprises) with export promotion. To achieve this, it joins several partners in developing and developed countries. Since then, several phases of the Programme have been implemented.

Objective of this phase:

The aim of the Global BioTrade Facilitation Programme is to synchronize and leverage results from previous phases and thus contributing to unfold the potential of the BioTrade approach for biodiversity conservation as well as poverty reduction.

The overall objective of the continued program is to support key stakeholders to seize and capitalize on trade opportunities. At the same time, the program advances the implementation of SDG 15, the Aichi Targets (included in the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity, which is an agreed roadmap to implement the objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity) and the future global biodiversity framework beyond 2020.

UNCTAD will steer, coordinate and facilitate joint actions of key stakeholders at the national, regional and international level and address key concerns limiting the trade flows of biodiversity-based products and services.

The program builds on the following three pillars:

Coordination and knowledge sharing among stakeholders

The program ensures coordination on key BioTrade issues. UNCTAD steers and leverages the capacity of different BioTrade partners to share information. Furthermore, through a structured approach to collaboration, visibility for the partners' work is enhanced and thus incentives for engagement provided. This approach shall further strengthen the business case for BioTrade and help mainstream it into sustainable sourcing and development strategies.
Enabling favourable policy environment for BioTrade companies

BioTrade companies are supported to overcome non-tariff measures (NTMs) and to implement national schemes of access and benefit sharing (ABS) in order to enable their continued participation in the international market. Furthermore, the program will illustrated how the private sector as well as governments can also use BioTrade to report on the implementation of international processes (e.g. SDGs).
Facilitate market linkages for BioTrade companies

The program supports private companies and other partners to increase their knowledge on BioTrade as well as their capacity to raise awareness of BioTrade. Partners will also be encouraged to stimulate growth and development of ethical sourcing practices and sustainable supply chains in relation with the BioTrade principles and criteria.

Link to the SDGs:

Focus is on SDGs 15 and 17, and it also contributes to SDG 14 through the work on Blue BioTrade as well as SDG 12.

Monitoring and Evaluation

UNCTAD is responsible for the monitoring, internal evaluation and reporting of the programme impacts, outcomes and outputs. The annual Stakeholders' Steering Committee meeting provides a platform for progress reporting, feedback and recommendations on programme implementation. Additional monitoring and evaluation activities are done virtually, including through electronic means, phone calls or meetings organized back-to-back with other programme or partners' events.

An external mid-term evaluation as well as an external final evaluation of the programme may be commissioned by SECO. Should an external evaluation not take place, UNCTAD will conduct a participatory self-evaluation.

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