Building Resilient Supply Chains: Highlights from the ISEAL Global Sustainability Symposium 2026

The ISEAL Global Sustainability Symposium 2026 brought together producers, businesses, policymakers, civil society and sustainability leaders in Accra, Ghana, to explore how global supply chains can become more resilient, inclusive and sustainable.

Ghana was a fitting host for these discussions due to its important role in global supply chains, particularly through cocoa, timber, minerals, metals and fisheries. The country’s experience in developing national sustainability and traceability systems provided valuable lessons on how governments, markets and sustainability organisations can work together to address climate change, deforestation and responsible sourcing challenges.

The three-day event included a partner workshop, the main Global Sustainability Symposium, and a closed ISEAL Community Day for sustainability standard organisations.

Strengthening National Systems for Sustainability

The first day focused on Ghana’s cocoa and timber sectors and the development of stronger national regulatory and traceability systems.

The ISEAL Partner Workshop, supported through the UK government-funded Forest Governance, Markets and Climate (FGMC2) programme, explored how national systems, voluntary sustainability standards (VSS) and market requirements can complement each other.

Key discussions focused on:

• Improving traceability and data systems

• Strengthening forest governance

• Building market confidence in sustainable products

• Creating trusted, practical and investable sustainability systems

Participants highlighted that as global expectations for responsible sourcing increase, national legality and sustainability systems can help bridge international market requirements with local realities. Stronger systems can improve transparency, reduce risks linked to illegal forest conversion and support better land-use decisions.

Supply Chain Resilience in a Changing World

The second day was the main ISEAL Global Sustainability Symposium, themed “Supply Chain Resilience in a Changing World – Producers, Policy and Practice.”

The event placed producers at the centre of discussions, recognising the importance of farmer and community perspectives in building sustainable supply chains.

Keynote speakers, including a Ghanaian cocoa producer and a representative from the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), highlighted that resilience includes not only environmental protection but also livelihoods, economic stability and community wellbeing.

Sessions explored the link between credibility and resilience, focusing on challenges such as climate change, forest management, market uncertainty and increasing sustainability regulations.

A key discussion examined the role of sustainability standards in supporting market access and improving supply chain performance. Participants explored how voluntary standards and national regulations can align more effectively to deliver greater impact.

FSC Africa’s Contribution

During the symposium, FSC Africa representatives Nana and Gerard showcased an ISEAL Innovation Fund-supported research project:

“Creating Partnerships for Research and Testing Impact Verification Frameworks in Indigenous and Traditional Communities.”

The project aims to generate evidence and practical insights to help sustainability standards better recognise cultural impacts and adapt verification approaches to Indigenous and traditional community contexts.

FSC Africa also contributed to key panel discussions. Nana Darko Cobbina, Regional Forest Certification Manager for FSC Africa, participated in discussions on credible forest governance, while Gerard Busse, FSC Africa and Middle East Market Development Manager, contributed to conversations on building local value, markets and resilience in producer countries.

Collaboration Among Sustainability Standards

The final day, ISEAL Community Day, brought together sustainability organisations to share experiences and explore practical solutions.

Discussions focused on:

• Aligning sustainability standards with emerging regulations

• Improving producer livelihoods and market incentives

• Strengthening assurance systems while reducing burdens on producers

Representatives from organisations including FSC, Fairtrade Africa, Rainforest Alliance, Better Cotton, RSPO and others shared lessons on improving sustainability outcomes.

Conclusion

The ISEAL Global Sustainability Symposium 2026 demonstrated that building resilient supply chains requires collaboration between governments, producers, businesses and sustainability organisations.

The event reinforced that sustainability is not only about compliance, but about creating trusted systems that deliver real benefits for people, communities and ecosystems.

For FSC Africa, the symposium provided an opportunity to represent FSC and the African region, contribute to global sustainability discussions and share important work on forest governance, community impact and responsible supply chains.

Source: FSC

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