Biotrade

Biotrade relates to the production and trade of products and ingredients from local ecosystems. When it follows strict conditions of ethics and sustainability, it is an important tool to reconciliate economy and biodiversity.
More on the challenges of biodiversity here.

Context

Biodiversity produces extremely diverse and valuable resources for human beings: food, health, energy, beauty, pleasure. These resources are often fragile. When managed with respect for ecosystems, work and traditional knowledge, they are levers for human well-being, protect biodiversity and the well-being of local rural people.

Tea, cocoa, coffee, aromatic and medicinal plants, spices and cosmetic ingredients are fragile resources appreciated by everybody. 

Our approach

For more than 20 years, Pierre Johnson has supported a sustainable and fair development of natural products, combining:

• a classical market approach (market research, monitoring and quality control, business plans, etc.);
• the principles of fair trade (fair and equitable payments, préparation to certification when desireable);
  
• compliance studies, specifically on the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization;
• the principles of an ecological economy (ecosystem review, accounting for externalities)
  

This approach allows to express the full potential of local know-how and ecosystems and agrosystems, creating value chains and brands of excellence, valued at their fair prices on national and international markets.

Our services

Our experience

• Ten years of expérience as a Fair Trade project manager for producers organizations and as a facilitator of an international community of practice on Fair Trade. Associate member of the World Fair Trade Organization.
• Twelve years of experience as a consultant for international cooperation agencies (UNDP, UNIDO, GIZ…) and for companies(cosmetics, ethical funds, etc.) in Latin America, Africa and South-East Asia.
• Expert of the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization, 10 studies conducted.
  
• Specialist in ecological economics, expert on access and benefit sharing of biodiversity and traditional knowledge.
• By sector: coffee (Latin America, East Africa), cocoa (Madagascar, West Africa), tea (China and Vietnam), cosmetic ingredients (Latin America, Africa), handicrafts and textiles (global).