From Stakeholder Perspectives to Stakeholder Participation

This report summarizes a global consultation of approximately 40 civil society organizations (CSOs) conducted by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) for the Global Initiative on Commodities (GIC). It provides recommendations to ensure that commodity production and trade contribute to sustainable development, emphasizing a bottom-up, participatory approach to national and international policy.

• CSOs emphasize that the foundation for any pro-development commodity policy must be a comprehensive, national-level needs assessment. This process must be participatory, involving all relevant stakeholders with a specific focus on gender balance and the needs of rural workers to ensure legitimacy and effectiveness.
• The report identifies the strengthening of local producer organizations as the most effective strategy for increasing producer autonomy and improving market authority for small-scale producers. CSOs recommend the creation of national platforms to support these organizations in business facilitation and market compliance.
• International commodity bodies (ICBs) should be expanded to serve as hubs for information sharing and coordinated supply chain management. To achieve this 'revived mandate,' CSOs call for more transparent and direct participation from the private sector and civil society within ICB governance.
• Market standards are viewed as significant barriers to international market access. CSOs recommend the development of national needs-based strategies and an internationally recognized framework for assessing the impact of these standards on producers.
• To improve South-South trade, the report suggests establishing regional multi-stakeholder platforms and implementing preferential tariff rates for strategic high-value products. This is intended to overcome barriers such as poor information on market opportunities and underdeveloped commercial channels.
• CSOs recommend the creation of an 'export diversification fund' managed by the Common Fund for Commodities (CFC). This fund would provide collateral for financial institutions, support producer-owned credit facilities, and finance financial literacy training to improve smallholder access to credit.
• To facilitate entry into high-value and niche markets, CSOs propose the creation of an annual global 'high-value commodity trade fair' and the delivery of targeted technical assistance to help producers identify and access these opportunities.

APA

Potts, J., Wunderlich, C., Cuming, D., & Chang, M. (2009). From Stakeholder Perspectives to Stakeholder Participation. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/global_initiative_commodities.pdf

Chicago

Potts, Jason, Chris Wunderlich, David Cuming, and Michael Chang. From Stakeholder Perspectives to Stakeholder Participation. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2009. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/global_initiative_commodities.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Potts |first1=Jason |last2=Wunderlich |first2=Chris |last3=Cuming |first3=David |last4=Chang |first4=Michael |title=From Stakeholder Perspectives to Stakeholder Participation |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=April 2009 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/global_initiative_commodities.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{potts2009from, author = {Potts, Jason and Wunderlich, Chris and Cuming, David and Chang, Michael}, title = {{From Stakeholder Perspectives to Stakeholder Participation}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2009}, month = apr, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/global_initiative_commodities.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }