How can national systems, voluntary sustainability initiatives and international market requirements better complement one another to build more sustainable and transparent supply chains? A new report from an ISEAL partner workshop in Accra, Ghana, identifies practical opportunities, drawing on the country’s timber and cocoa sectors.

Climate change, deforestation and the expansion of forest-risk commodities are highlighting the need to strengthen forest governance at the national level. Importing countries are introducing due diligence requirements, companies are raising their sourcing ambitions and investors and consumers want greater transparency about where commodities come from and how they are produced.

Meeting these expectations is challenging, particularly where smallholders and informal producers play a significant role and systems for collecting, managing and verifying information are still developing. National legality and sustainability systems are emerging to help address these challenges, while supporting natural resource management and economic development.

Voluntary sustainability initiatives bring experience in data systems, assurance, investment and on-the-ground implementation. Connecting these complementary strengths can help avoid parallel systems and unnecessary demands on producers.

On 8 June 2026, ISEAL’s partner workshop in Accra brought together 54 representatives from 29 organisations to explore these opportunities through Ghana’s timber and cocoa sectors. The workshop was part of ISEAL’s five-year Markets for Credible National Sustainability Tools project, supported by the UK Government-funded Forest Governance, Markets and Climate programme. 

Five key takeaways emerged:

National systems are more than digital infrastructure

National legality and sustainability systems combine legal frameworks, institutions, supply chain controls, verification, data and technology. Ghana’s timber system illustrates how digital tracking can work alongside legality requirements, licensing and independent oversight. 
Technology is an important enabler, but credibility also depends on effective governance, clear institutional responsibilities, reliable data, sustainable financing and meaningful stakeholder participation.

National systems develop at different speeds

Progress depends on sectoral needs, existing capacity and implementation priorities. Ghana’s timber sector has more than a decade of experience implementing its Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) Voluntary Partnership Agreement. In August 2025, Ghana became the first African country to issue FLEGT licences for timber exports to the EU. 

Cocoa traceability is at a different stage. By June 2026, Ghana’s Cocoa Management System had mapped more than 1.3 million farms, while the Ghana Cocoa Traceability System was being rolled out for the 2025/26 crop season to support due diligence requirements, including the EU Deforestation Regulation. 
Recognising progress, remaining gaps and national priorities can help align market expectations with realistic pathways towards stronger systems and greater market recognition.

Digital traceability works best when systems connect 

Digital traceability can improve data management, accountability and decision-making. But fragmented systems risk duplicating data collection, creating concerns about data ownership and privacy, and increasing costs for producers and supply chain actors. 

Interoperability, the ability of systems to exchange and use information, can reduce these challenges. Clear data-sharing agreements, investment in data quality and inclusive system design can help reduce duplication and improve information flows across supply chains. This includes considering smallholders and others facing barriers to digital access.

Trust depends on governance and participation

Data alone does not build confidence. Confidence in national systems depends on clear legal frameworks, reliable data, independent verification and oversight, transparent processes, quality assurance and effective grievance mechanisms. 

Meaningful participation gives producers, civil society and other affected stakeholders a voice in system design and implementation, strengthening accountability. Voluntary sustainability initiatives’ assurance approaches can also inform national systems and help avoid unnecessary duplication of audits and controls.

Collaboration must create lasting value

In the short term, the report recommends making information about national systems easier to access, enabling ongoing stakeholder feedback, improving data quality and assurance, and identifying where interoperability can reduce repeated information requests. Assessing alignment with emerging climate-related traceability requirements is another priority.

Over the longer term, shared data standards and improved data sharing could help national systems, voluntary initiatives and private-sector platforms work together more effectively. Sustainable financing is also needed for system maintenance, assurance and capacity building beyond initial donor investment.

National systems can deliver value beyond compliance, supporting risk assessment, remediation, monitoring of emerging land-use pressures and evidence-based policymaking. These benefits must go hand in hand with protecting producer privacy, respecting data sovereignty and ensuring tangible value for producers and communities.

Read the full report: Building bridges for sustainable supply chains for detailed recommendations on strengthening national systems and connecting them with voluntary sustainability initiatives and evolving market requirements.