International agricultural trade has proven to be an economic driver for a country. This is especially true for countries with strong and good governments. In reality, however, the gains and losses from this trade are not evenly distributed among countries. International agricultural trade has both positive and negative impacts on people and the environment. Negative environmental impacts are now widely recognized, such as in the case of palm oil, cocoa, soy and coffee, which can cause deforestation, habitat degradation, biodiversity loss and climate change, soil erosion, and water degradation and pollution. These negative impacts have been addressed through the application of principles such as zero deforestation, sustainability commitments, technology development for farmers, and legal strengthening to better monitor and control environmental impacts. However, this has not been the case for social impacts.
CCSF UI is involved in the collaborative research, “Mapping Social Impacts of Agricultural Commodity Trade onto the Sustainable Development Goals.” This research aims to systematically review and map social indicators onto specific SDG targets. This mapping was done using the SIAT framework, which links the well-being and equity outcomes in the framework to specific SDGs and their targets, and provides references to empirical studies for each of these links. The research findings can be further explored through the following link.
Mapping Social Impacts of Agricultural Commodity Trade onto the Sustainable Development Goals
