37 leading agri-businesses launch alliance to boost green farming

37 leading agri-business companies have today launched the Global Agri-Business Alliance (GAA) in Singapore.

Their aim is to collectively tackle the major environmental and social challenges facing agricultural supply chains and rural communities across the world.

The CEO-led private sector initiative is seeking to "contribute significantly" to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly with regards to the second SDG on tackling hunger, nutrition, food security and sustainable agriculture.

The launch members – which include growers and producers, traders, seed suppliers and agri-service providers – are geographically varied spanning different continents as well multiple commodities such as grain, edible nuts and sugar.

While many agri-companies already collaborate with non-governmental organizations, technical implementers, consumer brands and retailers, the members of the GAA will harness their collective strengths at the ‘front-line’ of agricultural production to help bring the scale and impact required to drive major change.

'Critical sector'

Paul Polman, CEO of Unilever, and a member of the SDG Advocacy Group, said the Global Agri-business Alliance is a "major step" in aligning this "critical" sector behind the Sustainable Development Goals.

"We know the SDGs cannot be achieved without business and we must all go beyond our own individual supply chains towards broader sector wide and value chain approaches.

"The alliance can catalyse likeminded businesses and collaborate with other business platforms to deliver the positive impact the world needs."

Lord Mark Malloch-Brown, chair, Business and Sustainable Development Commission commented: "Agri-business is most clearly linked to SDGs related to reducing hunger and ending poverty, but it is also critical to protecting livelihoods, achieving gender equality and fulfilling education.

"The companies of the Global Agri-business Alliance understand that their sector must help achieve sustainable development, but they also recognise the SDGs represent a tremendous business opportunity.

"We at the Business Commission look forward to working with the GAA and its member companies to seize these opportunities and create a more inclusive, sustainable world."