From Stakeholder Perspectives to Stakeholder Participation

The report outlines civil society recommendations for sustainable commodity production, emphasizing the need for national-level needs assessments, participatory governance, and the strengthening of producer organizations. It advocates for reforms in Official Development Assistance (ODA), the creation of an export diversification fund, and improved access to high-value markets and finance for smallholders. The document also stresses the importance of South-South trade and the role of international commodity bodies as hubs for information sharing.

• CSOs emphasize that any pro-development commodity policy must begin with in-depth, national-level needs assessments that are participatory and inclusive of all stakeholders, particularly women and rural workers.
• The strengthening of local producer organizations is identified as the most promising strategy for increasing producer autonomy and improving market authority for smallholders.
• Civil society recommends reforming Official Development Assistance (ODA) to ensure it is guided by beneficiaries and not used as a tool for the economic interests of developed countries.
• To address financial barriers for smallholders, CSOs propose the establishment of an export diversification fund managed by the Common Fund for Commodities (CFC) to provide collateral and financial literacy training.
• International commodity bodies (ICBs) should be revitalized as information-sharing hubs with increased transparency and direct participation from the private sector and CSOs.
• CSOs highlight that standards-based markets are a significant hurdle for Southern producers and call for an internationally recognized framework for impact assessment and better information dissemination.
• The report suggests promoting South-South trade through regional multi-stakeholder platforms and the use of preferential tariff rates for strategic high-value products.

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} }