ACCRA, GHANA - 9 June 2026 - The ISEAL Global Sustainability Symposium 2026 convened producers, businesses, policymakers and sustainability leaders in Accra today to explore how supply chains can become more resilient and inclusive in a rapidly changing global context.

Ghana’s role in global supply chains made it a vital setting for these conversations. With a strong export footprint in minerals and metals, tropical forest-based commodities and fisheries, Ghana is deeply embedded in the supply chain systems at the heart of the symposium’s discussions. Its policy leadership in carving a path to more sustainable development, through the use of standards – both international and national – were a key focus of the discussions.

Hosted by ISEAL, the global membership organisation for sustainability standards, and supported by the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Cooperation (SECO), the symposium focused on the theme of supply chain resilience in a changing world. The conversation centred on the role voluntary standards can play in advancing resilience for producers and industry at a time of high global uncertainty and repeated shocks.

Ghana’s experience in strengthening traceability, improving forest governance and advancing sustainable cocoa production featured prominently throughout the programme. Including keynote addresses that framed the discussion on resilience from complementary perspectives: Juliana Asiedu, certified Ghanaian cocoa producer and financial secretary of Offinso Fine Flavour Cocoa Cooperative (OFFCOP), spoke to resilience from the farmer and community level, while Dr Francis Baah, Deputy Chief Executive, Agronomy and Quality Control at COCOBOD, focused on aligning policy and practice to strengthen cocoa systems.

Across the day, panels examined how credibility and resilience intersect in supply chains, including the role of sustainability standards in improving transparency, supporting market access and strengthening livelihoods. Discussions dived deep – exploring how climate risk, land use change, livelihoods and geo-economic uncertainty are reshaping supply chain resilience, alongside the need to align voluntary and national approaches with emerging regulation in ways that remain practical and responsive to producer realities.

Workshops also explored how sustainability standards can drive market transformation, strengthen farmer livelihoods through living income approaches, improve community-based forest governance, and advance sustainable consumption and value addition across African markets.

The final session examined the challenge of aligning policy and practice to better support producers and SMEs amid growing global regulatory complexity.

‘Standards and certification schemes play a critical role. As market-based tools, they define good practices and create a common language shaped by farmers, companies, NGOs and governments. One that influences policy and corporate commitments worldwide. They are already embedded in global markets. And are well placed to drive socio-economic benefits for producers,’ Janine Walz, Deputy Head of Mission / Head of Cooperation, Embassy of Switzerland to Ghana, Benin & Togo.

‘Sustainable, resilient supply chains are possible, but the challenges faced by supply chain actors must be addressed. Global value chain actors must work together to find practical solutions. And importantly, producer perspectives must be put front and centre of the dialogue for meaningful impact to happen,’ Karin Kreider, ISEAL Executive Director.

‘Producers should not simply be expected to comply with decisions made elsewhere. My call today is simple. To policymakers: create policies that work for producers, not just for markets. To companies: invest in long-term partnerships that support farmer resilience and living income. To sustainability systems and development partners: continue working with producers to build practical solutions that can be implemented on the ground,’ Juliana Asiedu, certified Ghanaian cocoa producer and financial secretary of Offinso Fine Flavour Cocoa Cooperative (OFFCOP).

The symposium underscored that supply chain resilience cannot be achieved by any single actor. Instead, it requires coordinated action between governments, businesses, producers and sustainability systems, supported by credible tools that can translate ambition into action on the ground. 

ISEAL is proud to be supported by SECO Economic Cooperation and Development for this event through our partnership programme.