A new framework has been launched to the multiple challenges faced by agricultural commodities from climate change, water scarcity and soil degradation to fluctuating markets and precarious livelihoods for smallholders and producers.
- The Delta Framework was launched Thursday to address this challenge, by agreeing on a shared language and approach to measuring and communicating agricultural sustainability progress globally, starting with cotton and coffee.
The details: Eight sustainable cotton standards, programmes and codes (members of the Cotton 2040 Working Group on Impact Metrics alignment) signed a Memorandum of Understanding in which they commit to align on Impacts Measurement and Reporting.
- Each member has committed to identifying an individual timeline for integrating relevant Delta indicators into their own monitoring, evaluation and reporting systems over time.
- The framework also provides an opportunity to develop cross-sector services to respond to farmers’ concerns and challenges, while making it easier to report progress.
- The Delta Project, which has led to the publication of the Delta Framework, was proposed to the ISEAL Innovations Fund by Better Cotton.
- The project proposal was developed together with the Global Coffee Platform (GCP), the International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC) and the International Coffee Association (ICO), in order to establish a strong foundation for progress among two of the most important commodity sectors, cotton and coffee.
The approach: The Delta Project focused on producing a clear, consistent way to measure and report the progress of farms participating in sustainable commodity certification schemes or other sustainable agriculture initiatives.
- This cross-sector collaboration reached consensus on key sustainability indicators and guidance materials that were extensively tested by the Project participants and other stakeholders.
- Eight sustainable cotton standards, programmes and codes (members of the Cotton 2040 Working Group on Impact Metrics alignment) signed a Memorandum of Understanding in which they commit to align on Impacts Measurement and Reporting.
- The outcome of the project is the Delta Framework, a harmonised approach to sustainability performance reporting, designed to support business, governments and not-for-profit actors alike in quantifying and communicating their progress towards the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
- It also provides an opportunity to develop cross-sector services to respond to producers’ collective challenges, while reducing their reporting burden and providing a greater incentive to monitor progress.
The framework: The Delta Framework features a common set of environmental, social, and economic indicators to measure sustainability across the cotton and coffee commodity sectors. It is accompanied by guidance material to help ensure companies and governments can use the information effectively.
- The Framework also provides examples of best practices, methodologies and tools to encourage stakeholders to adopt and use the framework, and recommendations on how private or public entities can effectively communicate sustainability information to their stakeholders.
What they said:
Better Cotton is proud to have initiated and coordinated this cross-sector collaboration, which brings together expertise from across the agricultural sector. The Delta Framework is making it easier for the private sector, governments and farmers to report effectively on sustainability progress, leading to improvements in the quality of support and services provided to farmers, including better financing and government policies.
— Alan McClay
Chief Executive Officer
Better Cotton
The Delta Framework is an important reference and guidance for sustainability standards on key indicators that they can use to track and demonstrate their contribution to sustainability impacts. As attention for sustainability grows, it is becoming even more critical for all organizations working in sustainability to be able to communicate effectively about the difference they make, and the Delta Framework will be an important common reference for sustainability standards in this regard.
— Kristin Komives
ISEAL
The implications of this are huge: once implemented, it enables these standards to tell a common narrative, backed up with evidence, about the positive impacts (as well as the reduction of negative impacts) that sustainable production creates. This will help to increase uptake by brands needing to make comprehensive and reliable sustainability claims to consumers and investors about the products they sell. Forum for the Future is proud to have partnered with the Delta Project in reaching this significant achievement.
— Charlene Collison
from Forum for the Future, Facilitator
Cotton 2040
