Page 7 - DIVA_2_2024_web
P. 7

international




               of ways, as well. So I always had an interest in
               making a difference for my country, my region
               and more broadly, the world, in some way.

               As  for  the  second  part  of  your  question,  on
               priorities for us at ITC: All of our projects and
               programmes  contribute  to  the  UN  Sustainable
               Development  Goals.  Everything  we  do  is
               designed to help small businesses in developing
               countries to trade, so they can earn more, create
               jobs  and  support  socioeconomic  development
               of their countries. In short, we work to see big
               changes  through  small  businesses,  through
               trade-led development.

               In  line  with  the  Sustainable  Development
               Goals,  we  at  ITC  have  four  high-ambition,
               strategic pushes – what we call our “moonshots”
               – which serve as an umbrella for our core work:
               green,  digital  connectivity,  gender  and  youth.   the link between trade and climate change. Yet at  In Viet Nam
               At  least  80%  of  our  country-level  assistance   the last UN climate change conference, we saw
               is  in  least  developed  countries,  sub-Saharan   trade on the climate agenda for the first time.
               Africa,  landlocked  developing  countries,  small   And  there  are  environment/climate/plastics
               island  developing  states,  small  and  vulnerable   discussions happening at the WTO. So the two
               economies, and conflict-affected countries.  worlds are coming together.
               Let  me  focus  on  Africa  in  particular,  where
               we  have  a  wide  footprint:  We  have  worked   We need to see trade as part of the solution to
               in  all  African  countries  and  currently  have   climate  change  –  in  no  small  part  driven  by
               interventions in 50 out of 55 African countries.   small-scale  producers  and  small  businesses  in
               Our current portfolio of projects on the continent   developing countries. Let me share an example
               totals approximately $150 million.     of  regenerative  agriculture  in  Ghana:  We  are
                                                      helping  farmers  to  move  away  from  clearing
               I also want to mention that we’re celebrating our   forests  to  grow  cash  crops.  With  partners  like
                 th
               60   anniversary  this  year.  This  year  and  every   the  Swiss  chocolate  brand  Halba  and  Max
               year, we’re working to create a world that is more   Havelaar Fairtrade Switzerland, we are training
               connected,  sustainable  and  inclusive.  I  want   farmers  of  the  Kuapa  Kokoo  cooperative  with
               my legacy to be a world that is a better place to   over  100,000  members  (representing  10%  of
               live in than the one I grew up in, for my son’s   cocoa  farmers  in  the  country)  to  improve  the
               generation and beyond.                 soil,  increase  biodiversity,  inset  carbon,  and
                                                      diversify  their  food  and  income  sources  by
               We are living in a period of many challenges. Is   “intercropping”  cocoa  seedlings  with  trees,  as
               there  one  in  particular  that you  see  as  the   it takes three years for cocoa trees to come into
               main  one,  and  how  is the ITC  helping  its   fruit.  This  approach  works  because  producers
               Member  States  to  overcome  these  challenges?    are owning the process: Nearly 700 farmers (250
               [Note:  While  ITC  doesn’t  have  Member  States   of them women) have reforested more than 400
               in  the  same  way  the  UN  Secretariat  does,  we   hectares, capturing 75,000 tons of CO2. We can
               are  accountable  to  our  beneficiary  and  donor   track these figures because we work directly with
               countries.]                            the farmers, buyers, carbon credit certifiers and
                                                      agroforestry  experts  involved.  We  are  working
               The  major  challenge,  the  defining  issue  of  our   with the Ghana Cocoa Board to integrate these
               time,  is  climate  change.  This  goes  beyond  any   regenerative  agroforestry  practices  across  the
               sector or country. The general public may not see   country.


               w w w. d i va i n t e r n at i o n a l . c h
   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9   10   11   12