Innovating tools & guidance
We produce a range of tools as part of our work with companies. We also provide guidance on how to implement and use these tools, to ensure wide-spread adoption and ease of use. All of our thinking, on-the-ground experience and innovative testing is made available in our publications. These are designed to lead industry thinking on how to address deforestation, such as in our Responsible Sourcing guide. We also address issues beyond supply chains, such as engaging with landscapes and guidance on gender equality.
In addition to our own tools, we welcome partnerships, such as CDP, and sit on the steering committee of The Accountability Framework, which provides consensus-based principles and guidance to help companies set goals, take action, and demonstrate progress toward ethical agricultural and forestry supply chains. We also support the Implementation Reporting Framework; one tool that companies can use to report against the best practices and outcomes specified in the Accountability Framework, where we help with interpreting the guidance for local use in Africa and Asia.
We often work with existing tools, but where tools don’t exist, we innovate to develop new approaches and methods based on our practical experience and understanding of the knowledge gaps in our sector. For example, we incubated the High Conservation Value Resource Network, created by organisations including WWF, IKEA, Tetra Pak and the World Bank to provide guidance and quality control on how to protect the most important environmental and social features in a production landscape.
The Responsible Sourcing Toolkits, developed by Proforest as part of a wider programme of activity, provide a practical, accessible resource for companies to use in training, developing strategy, and supporting implementation of commitments.
You can access our thought leadership series (Briefing Notes) and our practical guidance (Info Notes) in our Publications.