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About Us2021-06-04T10:12:14+00:00

Working across production, financing and demand, the Good Growth Partnership convenes a wide range of stakeholders and initiatives to reduce deforestation and enable sustainable development in three global commodity supply chains: soy, beef and palm oil.

Launched at the United Nations New York headquarters in 2017, the Partnership is funded by the Global Environment Facility, led by the United Nations Development Programme and implemented in collaboration with Conservation International, the International Finance Corporation, UN Environment and World Wildlife Fund.

In partnership with the governments of Brazil, Indonesia, Liberia and Paraguay, as well as civil society and major private sector players, together we aim to place sustainability at the heart of commodity supply chains.

As demand for agricultural commodities grows, we need to develop forward-thinking business models to manage sustainable commodity production that also maintains forests and important ecosystem services.

Naoko Ishii, CEO and Chairperson of the Global Environment Facility (2012-2020)

The Challenge

The commercial production of soy, beef and palm oil is a dominant economic force in many national and developing rural economies. Worldwide, the livelihoods of 2.5 billion people depend on agriculture.

However, our growing global population, rising incomes and changing diets will continue to increase demand for agricultural commodities and put more pressure on the planet’s finite natural resources.

Soy, beef and palm oil are considered to be among the biggest drivers of tropical deforestation today. The consequences include losses to habitats and biodiversity, rising carbon dioxide levels which contribute to climate change as well as the degradation of essential ecosystem services such as clean water and fresh air which we depend on for our very survival.

For that reason, it has never been more important to forge new ways of doing business that enable ‘good growth’ without the associated environmental consequences of unsustainable agricultural production and deforestation.

Our Integrated Approach

Working with a full range of stakeholders, from small-scale producers to national governments and global corporations, the Good Growth Partnership promotes a holistic approach to sustainability that encompasses entire commodity supply chains.

Instead of treating production, demand and investment interventions as separate tracks, the Partnership looks at where the layers of the supply chain integrate and overlap to enhance financial incentives and demand for sustainably produced agricultural commodities.

By combining forces, the Good Growth Partnership aims to provide a model of wide-scale systemic reform which capitalizes on the strengths of each partner.

How We Enable Change


Clear policies for land use to dissuade expansion into forests while making suitable land available for cultivation


Nationally coordinated farmer support services to improve agricultural practices and market access


Robust economic incentives and new models for financing to encourage sustainable production


Increased market awareness and consumer demand for reduced deforestation commodities


Knowledge and lessons learned shared throughout the supply chain to coordinate and scale-up best practice

“From my vantage point this initiative, the Good Growth Partnership, is long overdue. Agriculture in the 21st century is fundamental and foundational to our very existence but ironically it has become one of the biggest challenges we face in our pursuit toward sustainability and an inclusive green economy of the future.”

Achim Steiner, Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme

How We Work Throughout the Supply Chain

Cultivating Sustainable Production

Building on the government-led initiatives of the UNDP’s Green Commodities Programme, as well as WWF and Conservation International’s efforts to protect important landscapes, the Partnership supports countries to overhaul the way commodities are produced, creating sector-wide and lasting change. This involves convening diverse stakeholders around a common vision and an agenda for action. Essentially it enables governments to fortify their support to farmers, reform laws and policies as well as enforcement systems.

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Generating Responsible Demand

Building on WWF’s long history of engaging with corporations and consumers, the Good Growth Partnership helps to raise awareness and strengthen demand for sustainably produced beef, palm oil and soy among consumers, policymakers, companies and investors. Coordinating with existing platforms and initiatives, the Partnership is working to promote and improve transparency. Partners are also working to address market barriers and to develop ways to better incentivize demand for sustainable production.

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Enabling Sustainable Transactions

UN Environment’s Finance Initiative and the International Finance Corporation work closely with banks and related institutions to help make sustainable financing more accessible for businesses, farmers and producers who require additional capital to invest in more environmentally sound practices. It involves identifying, developing and promoting the adoption of financial products such as green bonds and impact investment structures as well as subsidies and co-financing models that support sustainable business practices. The Partnership also works with the finance sector to improve best practices and reduce the risk associated with financing the sustainable commodity sector.

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Learning and Knowledge Management

The three areas of supply chain intervention are bound together at a global level with strong monitoring, evaluation and knowledge management. This work is supported via the continual development of a wider community of practice, coordinated by the UNDP’s Green Commodities Programme. This growing global community shares best practices among key commodity producing countries, facilitates learning and develops robust and policy-relevant evidence to drive effective, systemic and structural change in commodity supply chains.

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Our Leadership

Our Team

Partners

In recent years, as rates of deforestation and environmental degradation have reached all-time highs, we have witnessed the emergence of countless initiatives to tackle the issue. In reality, however, this challenge is far too large for one actor or effort to overcome alone. It requires a large-scale effort, one that works in coordination at all levels of the
supply chain.

The Good Growth Partnership was born out of an urgent realization that if we have any chance of taking deforestation out of commodity supply chains we must combine our resources and work together.

Implementing Partners

The Good Growth Partnership is funded by the Global Environment Facility and also contributes to the GEF’s commitment to assist developing countries in meeting the objectives of multilateral environmental agreements.

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The UNDP’s Green Commodities Programme (GCP) is leading the Partnership, with a specific focus on knowledge development and sustainable production. GCP is implementing a distinctive platform methodology that enables wide-scale action in commodity producing countries.

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The IFC is contributing to the Partnership’s transactions project, which aims to develop and test models to enhance the sustainable flow of finance throughout the commodity supply chain.

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Conservation International is working on the ground with producers, companies and policymakers to improve spatial mapping and land use planning, implement and validate legal requirements, and increase support for producers that improve practices and protect high-conservation value areas in Brazil, Indonesia and Liberia.

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WWF is working to raise awareness and strengthen demand for sustainably produced beef, palm oil and soy among consumers, policy makers, companies and investors.

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Through its Finance Initiative, UN Environment is working closely with banks to help make sustainable financing more accessible for businesses and farmers who require additional capital to invest in more environmentally sound practices.

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In coordination with WWF, Proforest is supporting the effort to enhance awareness and sustainable demand among major commodity traders.

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ISEAL Alliance is leading the implementation of Evidensia, an online knowledge hub that aims to synthesize and communicate available information about sustainable production and voluntary sourcing initiatives and commitments. Evidensia was launched in mid-2019 and is oriented to meet the needs of business leaders, policy makers, and researchers as they shape standards and sustainable supply chain interventions.

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In coordination with WWF, the Stockholm Environment Institute is engaged in the effort to enhance awareness and sustainable demand among major commodity traders through the Trase platform, in partnership with Global Canopy.

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To reduce environmental threats in the agricultural frontier and to promote sustainable soy production in Brazil, the Brazilian Foundation for Sustainable Development (FBDS) is working on landscape planning to encourage soy cultivation in already deforested or degraded lands, through the creation of ecological corridors and zoning for soy expansion.

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In coordination with WWF, Global Canopy is engaged in the effort to enhance awareness and sustainable demand among major commodity traders through the Trase platform, in partnership with the Stockholm Environment Institute.

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Interested in supporting the Good Growth Partnership?

Contact our global project manager pascale.bonzom@undp.org

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