Sustainable Trade in Global Supply Chains: Dilemmas and Solutions
GIGA Forum
Sustainable Trade in Global Supply Chains: Dilemmas and Solutions
GIGA Forum as part of the Hamburg Sustainability Week 2025
Date
03/06/2025
Start
06:30 p.m. (CEST)
End
07:30 p.m. (CEST)
Global supply chains are central to today’s world economy, offering opportunities for economic growth and job creation, especially in developing countries. But they also raise critical concerns: precarious working conditions, environmental harm, and contributions to climate change are just some of the negative side effects associated with global production networks.
Policymakers, companies, and civil society actors are increasingly asking how trade can be made fairer and more sustainable. Voluntary sustainability standards have played a role, and mandatory regulation is being increasingly implemented, including in the European Union. At the same time, current global trends – from economic nationalism and fragmented trade regimes to deregulation – signal roadblocks ahead.
Drawing on insights from the Hamburg Sustainability Conference, this GIGA Forum brings together experts to explore the future of sustainable global supply chains. What are the prospects for fair and environmentally responsible trade in a shifting global landscape? And how can Germany and its partners help shape trade that benefits both people and the planet?
Speakers:
Alejandra Martínez-Salinas, PhD, is Coordinator of theForest and Biodiversity Unit in Productive Landscapes at the Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center (CATIE), Costa Rica.
Prof. Dr. Santiago Fernández de Córdoba is Senior Economist at the UN Conference of Trade and Development and Coordinator of the United Nations Forum on Sustainability Standards (UNFSS).
Prof. Dr. Jann Lay is Head of the Research Programme “Globalisation and Development” at the GIGA.
This report synthesises cutting-edge research on labour standards in global supply chains. Authored by researchers from the Research Network Sustainable Global Supply Chains, it examines the impact of global supply chains on decent work, sectoral variations, and the implications of evolving due diligence regulations.
The rapid loss of biodiversity and ongoing climate change are also the result of intensive agriculture. At the same time, they jeopardize agriculture and food security. The Leibniz Lab "Systemic Sustainability" brings together relevant knowledge in science and society on this fundamental challenge in order to promote the development and implementation of systemic solutions. Leibniz Association, 2024-2027
In a statement, Jann Lay and Tevin Tafese argue with colleagues from the "Research Network Sustainable Global Supply Chains" why European regulation for sustainable supply chains makes sense.
Global value chains are increasingly shaped by geopolitical competition, economic security, and strategic industrial policies. As trade becomes more fragmented, the question is whether sustainability and development objectives can still be advanced through global value chain governance.
Edited Volume | German Institute for Global and Area Studies (GIGA) | 02/2025
This report synthesises cutting-edge research on labour standards in global supply chains. Authored by researchers from the Research Network Sustainable Global Supply Chains, it examines the impact of global supply chains on decent work, sectoral variations, and the implications of evolving due diligence regulations.
The rapid loss of biodiversity and ongoing climate change are also the result of intensive agriculture. At the same time, they jeopardize agriculture and food security. The Leibniz Lab "Systemic Sustainability" brings together relevant knowledge in science and society on this fundamental challenge in order to promote the development and implementation of systemic solutions. Leibniz Association, 2024-2027
In a statement, Jann Lay and Tevin Tafese argue with colleagues from the "Research Network Sustainable Global Supply Chains" why European regulation for sustainable supply chains makes sense.
Global value chains are increasingly shaped by geopolitical competition, economic security, and strategic industrial policies. As trade becomes more fragmented, the question is whether sustainability and development objectives can still be advanced through global value chain governance.
Edited Volume | German Institute for Global and Area Studies (GIGA) | 02/2025
This report synthesises cutting-edge research on labour standards in global supply chains. Authored by researchers from the Research Network Sustainable Global Supply Chains, it examines the impact of global supply chains on decent work, sectoral variations, and the implications of evolving due diligence regulations.
The rapid loss of biodiversity and ongoing climate change are also the result of intensive agriculture. At the same time, they jeopardize agriculture and food security. The Leibniz Lab "Systemic Sustainability" brings together relevant knowledge in science and society on this fundamental challenge in order to promote the development and implementation of systemic solutions. Leibniz Association, 2024-2027
In a statement, Jann Lay and Tevin Tafese argue with colleagues from the "Research Network Sustainable Global Supply Chains" why European regulation for sustainable supply chains makes sense.
