Journey to Sustainability: ITC Self-Assessment Tool for Sustainability Standards

With the objective of encouraging and aiding producers in their journey towards sustainability, the Development Facility partnered with the International Trade Centre (ITC) in 2020 to design a web-based self-assessment tool for end-borrowers and the general public, where users can see how close they are to being eligible for a certification from Rainforest Alliance, Fairtrade, Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC), and Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). Producers are often dissuaded from adopting sustainable practices partly because of a lack of access to sound knowledge on the impact of sustainability, as they do not fully see how it would create large enough benefits that would justify the cost and time required to do so. The tool, initially available for coffee, sugarcane, banana, and shrimp producers, allows the user to identify what practices still need to be implemented for them to be able to apply for a certification. The self-assessment tool is also accompanied by relevant information on the impact of sustainable practices and the benefits behind sustainability standards.