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Commodity trading could be a particularly strong lever for sustainable development
Trade in raw materials represents one third of total trade in goods and has a considerable impact on sustainable development. In the most comprehensive scientific study to date conducted by the Swiss Academy of Sciences (SCNAT), researchers analysed the influence of trading companies on economic, ecological and social development and show how Switzerland, as a major trading hub, can exploit opportunities and minimise risks worldwide.
Immagine: SCNATBeyond the transaction: commodity trade and sustainable development
This factsheet maps the sustainability links of commodity trade, identifies knowledge gaps, and outlines options for commodity hubs, including Switzerland, to reduce economic, environmental and social sustainability risks.
Comparative regulatory analysis for selected commodity trading hubs
Comparative Legal Analysis for Switzerland, UK, USA, Hong Kong and Singapore
Making the Commodity Sector Work for Developing Countries - Local Impacts, Global Links, and Knowledge Gaps
Switzerland occupies an important position in the global trade of hard and soft commodities. Companies headquartered within its borders directly or indirectly shape commodity extraction practices around the world, some of which carry considerable negative environmental and social risks on the ground, particularly in fragile contexts. Minimizing these risks and maximizing shared economic gains could enable mutually beneficial development and counteract persistent social and political inequality.
Switzerland and the Commodities Trade
Switzerland has recently emerged as one of the world’s most important hubs in the global trade of commodities. But its rise has been accompanied by concerns about transparency, appropriate regulation, and risks to resource-exporting developing countries. A growing body of evidence points not only to beneficial, but also to harmful effects of commodities trading and extraction on resource-exporting poor countries. These include risks of undiversified economic development, political corruption, environmental damage, and human rights violations.
The Commodity Sector and Related Governance Challenges from a Sustainable Development Perspective: The Example of Switzerland
This working paper was written in the context of the project "Global change and Developing Countries: Why should we care?” managed by the Commission for Research Partnerships with Developing Countries (KFPE) and ProClim. It aims at identifying main knowledge gaps and providing a basis for further academic research on commodity investment and trading, while informing current policy debates and decision-making processes in Switzerland.
