Consumer Demand for Sustainable Products in Asia: Successes and challenges

Asia is home to a majority of the world’s population, and consumption patterns on the continent have significant implications on a global scale.

This webinar presented research findings on the consumption trends of certified and sustainable products in Asia, focusing on coffee, cotton, palm oil, and tea. Various actors (buyers, voluntary sustainability standards, producers) then shared successes, challenges, and potential ways to increase sustainable consumption in Asia.

Moderators:

• Cristina Larrea, Lead, Sustainability Standards, IISD
• Vidya Rangan, Senior Manager, Impacts and Evidence, ISEAL Alliance

Speakers:

• Steffany Bermúdez, Policy Analyst, IISD
• Rajesh Bhuyan, Director, Trustea
• Irvan Helmi, Co-Founder, Anomali Coffee
• Nils Heuer, Associate Programme Officer, Consumption and Production Unit, UN Environment Programme
• Ganesh Kasekar, Representative in South Asia, Global Organic Textile Standard
• Teddy Somantri, Co-Founder and President Director, Javanero Indonesia Coffee
• Nguyen Bao Thoa, Director, Vietnam Rural Industries Research and Development Institute
• Philippa Walker, Programme Manager, Asia Sustainable Palm Oil Links, WWF Singapore

Referenced Resources: 

• Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS)
• IISD (2019) Sustainable Commodities Marketplace Series
• Meier, C., Sampson, G., Larrea, C., Schlatter, B., Voora, V., Dang, D., Bermudez, S., Wozniak, J., and Willer, H. (2020). The State of Sustainable Markets 2020: Statistics and Emerging Trends. ITC, Geneva.
• One Planet Network, The Consumer Information Programme (CI-SCP)
• Promotion of supply and demand of Eco-fair Agri-Food processing products in Vietnam
• Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), How Certification Works
• Sustainable Coffee Platform of Indonesia (SCOPI)
• Trustea Sustainable Tea Foundation
• World Wildlife Fund (2021) Palm Oil Trade Flows From Key Landscapes in Asia: Risks and opportunities for sustainability action
• World Wildlife Fund (2021) Sustainable Palm Oil Uptake in Asia: Where do we go from here?
• World Wildlife Fund Palm Oil Buyers Scorecard (update launching September 28, 2021)

This event was co-hosted by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) and Evidensia.