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Strategies for tropical forest protection and sustainable supply chains: challenges and opportunities for alignment with the UN sustainable development goals
Version 2 2023-06-07, 08:43
Version 1 2023-06-07, 06:48
journal contribution
posted on 2023-06-07, 08:43 authored by Izabela Delabre, Anthony AlexanderAnthony Alexander, Camila RodriguesGovernance for sustainable development increasingly involves diverse stakeholder groups, with the promise of enhanced legitimacy and effectiveness in decision-making and implementation. The UN sustainable development goals (SDGs) emphasise the important role of multiple (non-state) actors, including businesses and non-governmental organisations, including in efforts to ensure the sustainability of supply chains, and to reduce tropical deforestation and forest degradation. This paper critically analyses sustainability strategies to examine how the UN SDG agendas related to ‘sustainable supply chains’ and ‘tropical forest protection’ are framed and enacted by two contrasting non-state actors: (1) Instituto Centro de Vida (ICV), an NGO in Brazil working to address deforestation, including by supporting farmers to produce commodities, and (2) Unilever, a global consumer goods manufacturer and major buyer of such commodities. By identifying areas of variability in the discursive techniques used by ICV and Unilever, we unearth particular power dynamics that can shape the processes and outcomes of sustainability strategies. This paper finds that the two organisations use diverse strategies at different levels of governance, both participate actively in multi-stakeholder forums to advance their organisations’ goals, but have divergent framings of ‘sustainability’. Despite being considered ‘non-state’ actors, the strategies of the two organisations examined both reflect, and influence, the structural effects of the state in the implementation of non-state organisations’ strategies, and progress towards the SDGs. Although there is alignment of certain strategies related to tropical forest protection, in some cases, there is a risk that more sustainable, alternative approaches to governing forests and supply chains may be excluded.
History
Publication status
- Published
File Version
- Published version
Journal
Sustainability ScienceISSN
1862-4065Publisher
Springer VerlagExternal DOI
Page range
1-15Department affiliated with
- Management Publications
Research groups affiliated with
- Sussex Sustainability Research Programme Publications
Full text available
- No
Peer reviewed?
- Yes
Legacy Posted Date
2019-10-25First Open Access (FOA) Date
2019-11-26First Compliant Deposit (FCD) Date
2019-10-18Usage metrics
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