Toward Zero Deforestation Supply Chains: Can We Make a Difference?

On Friday 25^th 2021, Competere hosted the webinar Toward Zero Deforestation Supply Chains: Can We Make a Difference? Over the course of the discussion, our top panelists shared their industries’ strategies to tackle deforestation along their supply chains. Daphne Hameeteman (Sustainability Lead Europe at Wilmar), Salvatore Pinizzotto (Secretary General at International Rubber Study Group), Raul J. H. Restrepo (Director Gestion Ambiental, Federacion de Cafeteros), Massimo Ramunni (Deputy Director at Assocarta), presented what they have been able to achieve, as well as what can still be improved upon. The event was moderated by Competere’s President Professor Pietro Paganini.

During the webinar, Prof. Paganini launched Competere’s latest survey: what are your perspectives on the drivers of deforestation and the efficiency of deforestation policies? Click here and let us know: https://bit.ly/3gVnXpL Your answers will allow us to better help institutions in providing more effective and science-based policies.

PILLS FROM THE DEBATE

Daphne Hameeteman

“Wilmar’s sustainability policy, the first launched by a palm oil company, rests on three pillars: no deforestation, no development on peat, no exploitation of people and local communities.”

“The transition toward forest-positive approach must be collective in order to be effective, and buyer countries must provide alternative livelihoods for forest landowners.”

“EU’s restriction or prohibition of exports from high deforestation area risks to displace forest-intensive production and remove sustainability incentives for farmers. A more effective approach would be to implement sustainability criteria in supply chains and export policies, without discriminating among products or regions.”

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Salvatore Pinizzotto

“90% of natural rubber production comes from smallholders in South-East Asia. The remaining 10% comes from Latin America and Africa, where large plantations are a bit more common.”

“Deforestation policies along the natural rubber supply chain must be people-centered, with protections for small farmers and for those involved that are most vulnerable, such as women.”

“EU regulations have the potential of incentivizing sustainable practices in producing countries, but we must be careful not to adopt a punitive, antagonistic approach, but rather favor dialogue and cooperation with producing countries.”

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Raúl Jaime Hernández Restrepo

“The Colombian coffee industry employs over 700.000 people, bringing the number up to 2,2 million, or 25% of Colombia’s rural population, when families are taken into account.”

“Coffee production in Colombia is largely based on small, family-operated plantations. As such, our sustainability strategy is centered on scientific research and rural outreach, aimed at helping farmers along the transition to sustainability.”

“Economic sustainability and development underpin social and environmental sustainability: environmental standards must provide a fair income to sustainable producers.”

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Stay tuned for video clip coming soon!

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Massimo Ramunni

“Despite popular perception, stationary products like white paper sheets only account for 26% of paper product usage, meaning their production is not a large source of deforestation.”

“Italian citizens have a stronger perception of paper as responsible for deforestation than the EU average, but they also pay more attention to forest-related certifications of paper products upon purchase.”

“About 25% of plastic products can be replaced with paper. The transition to sustainability should place a larger focus on bio-based paper products as a sustainable alternative.”

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WATCH THE FULL WEBINAR

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Download the invite poster here

SPEAKERS BIO

Daphne Hameeteman is the Sustainability Manager for Wilmar Europe, a subsidiary of Wilmar International Limited. She leads the sustainability conversation on tropical oils for all of Wilmar’s operations in Europe, connecting the requirements of customers in food, oleochemicals, and biofuels with the supplies from Asia as well as Latin America. She is also actively involved in various multi-stakeholder discussions with civil societies and industry peers on transformation programmes to build a more sustainable palm oil industry. She is a member of the RSPO Board of Governors. Prior to joining Wilmar in 2014, she managed the implementation of the RSPO palm oil traceability system for UTZ (now Rainforest Alliance).

Salvatore Pinizzotto is IRSG Secretary General since January 2017. He has vast experience in the commodities market having worked for three decades in the metals and non-ferrous metals industry. Mr Pinizzotto career has a strong international dimension with expertise in market research and analysis of environmental and economic trends on a regional and global basis.  He attended as Keynote Speaker various conferences on the rubber market in China, India and South-East Asia. Mr Pinizzotto holds a degree in Economics and a Master in Business Administration (MBA).

Raúl Jaime Hernández Restrepo is the Director of Environment at the Federación Nacional de Cafeteros de Colombia (FNC), where he works to consolidate and steer all environmental actions of FNC to promote environmental sustainability in coffee production systems. He previously worked at FNC as the National Coordinator of the Environmental Program as well as Forestry Specialist and Project Manager of Forest Investigation. He is a published author of books, scientific and technical articles, as well as journals and bulletins.

Massimo Ramunni, after an experence in the aluminium sector, has been working since 1998 for Assocarta, the association of the Italian pulp and paper industry, becoming Deputy Director General in 2008. He is also the Secretary General of Aticelca, the Italian association of the paper industry technicians; the Country Manager of Two Sides in Italy; member of Conlegno – Monitoring Organizationfor the EU imber regulation, of Eucepa – the European association of the paper technician, and of AFC – Italian association for vocational education in the paper indusry. He has been involved with a few working industry groups and committees at the national and European level around the topics of environment, climate, circular economy, food contact, forestry, R&D, and technical standardization.

Pietro Paganini is the President and co-founder of Competere – Policies for Sustainable Development – and General Director at Fondazione Luigi Einaudi, the research center that promotes the study of Liberalism and Liberal thought. He serves as Adjunct Professor at John Cabot University and Temple University of Philadelphia and as Researcher and Visiting Lecturer at Karlstad University (Sweden). He served as Vice President and political officer for the European Liberal Youth. He is the Founder and Board Member of Istituto Italiano per la Privacy (IIP) and the European Privacy Association (EPA).