About us
The Global Platform for Sustainable Coconut
The Sustainable Coconut Partnership is the global platform for coconut sustainability and is a multi-stakeholder initiative aiming to build a responsible and resilient coconut sector that solves a generational challenge of sustainability for millions of coconut farmers.
We unite stakeholders across the coconut supply chain to improve farmers’ livelihoods, protect the natural environment, and build climate resilience — ensuring a responsible and resilient sector for all.
The Partnership works across all coconut products and production countries of our members and has an initial focus in South Asia and Asia-Pacific.
Guided by a Charter developed by its stakeholders, SCP enables its members to adopt best practices and deliver measurable results—improving farmers' livelihoods, protecting nature, and managing the impacts of the climate crisis.
Governed as an industry led partnership, the organization has a view to open its governance to all stakeholders, it welcomes like-minded industry and producer members as well as affiliate members from civil society, associations, financial institutions, trade bodies, service providers, academia, research organizations and governments.
The organization enables pre a competitive collaboration that equips the private sector with means to support farmers and producer associations towards sustainability at scale.
From the Roundtable meetings...
...to the Sustainable Coconut Partnership
The Sustainable Coconut Partnership evolved from a 2019 initiative, the Roundtable on Sustainable Coconut, originally convened by Barry Callebaut and USAID. The then meeting series united over 80 industry stakeholders to address critical challenges in the coconut supply chain, focusing on sustainable practices and improved farmer livelihoods.
Following seven successful roundtable meetings, and with support from Sida and BSR (serving as secretariat), the partnership is formalizing in 2023. Led by Gregory Bardies (founder of the roundtable series and Executive Director of the Partnership) and a Steering Committee comprising AAK, Barry Callebaut, Ferrero, Nestlé, and Unilever representing the signatories of the Sustainable Coconut Charter.
The partnership aims to drive responsible coconut production through industry-wide best practices, impact programs, and harmonized supply chain requirements and sustainability tools. This initiative addresses key issues identified at the inaugural 2019 roundtable, including farmer income, tree productivity, traceability, deforestation prevention, and technology access.
The Steering Committee's formation and selection of the secretariat was facilitated by GIZ, which will continue to support roundtable meetings through the develoPPP program. The partnership is committed to pre-competitive collaboration and investment to build a resilient and sustainable coconut sector that benefits farmers, the climate, and the environment.
