ITC, UNCTAD launch BioTrade Facilitation Programme.

As consumers become more environmentally conscious, "green" products and services offer vast new trade opportunities. Companies trading in natural products that can show respect for the environment are also likely to be more competitive than others. Consequently, ITC is taking a fresh look at its activities linking trade and the environment. An important step was the launch of a joint programme with UNCTAD to develop trade in biodiversity products at the World Summit on Sustainable Development. This dynamic trade area holds a high potential for many biodiversity-rich developing countries.

The World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD, Johannesburg, August-September 2002) recognized that responsible trade in natural products can help sustain biological diversity. It is also clear that sharing the benefits of this trade can contribute to alleviating poverty. Yet there are major obstacles to expanding trade in biodiversity products in developing countries, including lack of market information and access; low management and export skills; low value-addition; lack of economies of scale; and difficulties in finding finances and reliable private sector partners. These problems require practical solutions.

BioTrade Facilitation Programme

ITC and UNCTAD's joint BioTrade Facilitation Programme for Products and Services Derived from Biodiversity (BTFP) is one of the first UN-led programmes to help countries tackle practical issues in this area. The BTFP will facilitate sustainable trade in biodiversity products and services by emphasizing the sustainable management of natural resources, product development, value-added processing and marketing. It aims to show that responsible trade development can contribute to sustainability and help conserve biodiversity.

These goals can only be realized if government agencies, trade promotion offices, business, local communities and non-governmental organizations work together. For this reason, local partners of the UNCTAD BIOTRADE country programmes were fully involved in developing the BTFP. These programmes are already improving the business environment for trade in biodiversity products by supporting the development of regulations, policies and strategies; strengthening institutional capacity to assist the sector; and providing access to finance. They have made arrangements with key institutions in pilot countries to provide a knowledgeable development base for the BTFP programme.

Target areas

To begin...