As sustainability requirements increasingly shape global trade, the ability to verify how and where a product was made is becoming increasingly important for market access. In this context, traceability – the ability to track and verify product-related information across supply chains – has emerged as a critical tool with multiple applications, from ensuring food safety in the agricultural sector to preventing the illicit trade of hazardous chemicals. It is increasingly central to the verification of sustainability claims.
Produced under the Sustainable Manufacturing and Environmental Pollution (SMEP) Programme, this report explores traceability through a trade and development lens. Drawing on an integrated methodological framework that connects firm-level actions with broader sustainability trends, the study addresses a fundamental question: how can producers in developing countries navigate increasingly stringent traceability requirements without being marginalized in the sustainability transition?
Link (pdf): https://smepprogramme.org
