The in-depth digital knowledge platform of the International Trade Centre explores export development and trade issues in developing and least developed countries. The contributions focus on trade promotion and export development as part of the International Trade Centre’s technical cooperation programme with developing countries and economies in transition.
Trade Forum caught up with former ITC Executive Director, Jean Denis Bélisle, to reflect on his time at ITC, as well as gain his perspective on the current trade landscape. Now retired, Mr. Bélisle was the longest-serving head in ITC history, from 1994-2006.
But while we may be 60 years old, in many ways our work is only just beginning. Too often, the benefits of trade still lie out of reach, especially for small businesses in ITC’s priority countries. Value addition is easier said than done, and regional integration and South-South trade and...
The crucial role of improved access to markets for young women-led businesses
Evelyn Seltier of Trade Forum checked in with Michael Ocansey, the winner of the first-ever ITC pitching contest in 2017, to hear how his company Agrocenta has evolved since then. This start-up set out to support smallholder farmers by connecting them to big buyers, but seven years later things have...
If you wanted to impact the lives of disadvantaged women and refugees, who are struggling to survive, what would you do? No idea? Luckily, we have young, inspiring entrepreneurs such as Tamara Gondo, who have found ways to help. Meet the 27-year-old founder and CEO of Liberty Society...
The International Trade Centre and the Netherlands have been working together since the 1990s. Here is a recount of what this partnership stands for.
Trade Forum talked with Ana Repezza of Brazil’s trade promotion organization, ApexBrasil, to understand its long-standing partnership with ITC, its ambitions to support small businesses with sustainable business practices, while including women, and what kind of growth she envisions for both...
Indigenous-owned businesses encompass a diverse array of goods and services, from handcrafted artifacts and traditional foods to eco-tourism and cultural experiences deeply rooted in traditions and cultural heritage. The International Trade Centre (ITC) prioritizes inclusive trade, and...
How is the International Trade Centre (ITC) promising greater business opportunities to micro and small businesses in East Africa through its second phase of the EU-EAC Market Access Upgrade Programme? Here is how.
Trade Forum caught up with former ITC Executive Director, Arancha González, to reflect on her time at ITC, as well as gain her perspective on the current trade landscape. Ms. González was the head of the organization from 2013-2020.
Trade Forum talked with Patricia Fuller, President and CEO of the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD). With IISD working on international trade for the past two decades, analysing it from multiple perspectives, this interview sheds light on trends in the...
Trade Forum caught up with former ITC Executive Director, Patricia R. Francis, to reflect on her time at ITC, as well as gain her perspective on the current trade landscape. Ms. Francis was the head of the organization from 2006-2013.
Trade Forum talked with the President of the Network of Caribbean Chambers of Commerce CARICHAM, Petipha Lewis, how the not-for-profit organization succeeds in strengthening Chambers of Commerce and small businesses across the region, while advocating for greater collaboration and coordinated action...
The International Trade Centre (ITC) is working with partners in Ghana to boost cocoa production and improve the lives of farmers through dynamic agroforestry.
Timor-Leste’s accession to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the World Trade Organization (WTO) have garnered national momentum to promote resilient economic growth.
At ITC, we know small businesses and we understand SIDS. That is why we are proud to bring the voices of the private sector to the SIDS4 conference, and to this Trade Forum edition. I believe the most urgent topics that need attention at SIDS4 are structural change, debt resilience and moving...
The new International Trade Centre’s online ‘Trade Tracker’ for small island developing States is free, easy-to-use and helps policymakers explore trade-related topics of relevance to these countries.
Larry Gardiner launched a vegan coconut ice cream line in Jamaica that is healthy, boasts Caribbean flavours and uses sustainably sourced ingredients from local farmer communities. Read how a successful businessman, who returned from the United States to his home country of Jamaica and...
How can you transform food systems sustainably and protect marine life at the same time?
A guide for organizations supporting businesses in the agrifood sector, with a look at small island developing States
How small businesses in small island developing States can achieve their full potential
A closer look at what is needed to build the economic resilience of small island developing States
Challenges small island developing States are facing, particularly when financing sustainable and inclusive business and capacity building
Ireland’s commitment to supporting the most vulnerable
Trade Forum had the opportunity to check in with Howard Politini, the Chairman of the Pacific Islands Private Sector Organisation before the Global Business Network Forum for small island developing States, to discuss major obstacles that small businesses are facing and how a new roadmap could...
Trade Forum talked with Asian Development Bank Vice President Fatima Yasmin to learn more about the ways in which Development Banks in small island developing States (SIDS) can make a difference to the often-dire financing situation of these vulnerable economies and their small businesses. ...
Micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) are essential parts of the economic engine of every country, driving job creation, innovation, entrepreneurship, and economic growth. They assist in eradicating poverty and reducing inequality. In small island developing States (SIDS)...
You might have never tasted or even heard of kava, a plant indigenous to the South Pacific. But kava bars are increasingly popping up in new markets thanks to passionate traders like Michael Louzé. The Vanuatu citizen promises quality produce that empowers Indigenous farmers...
In today's data-driven world, data has become the new gold, offering a potential for businesses to address resource inefficiencies
Imagine a life without clean air, where even indoors you cannot escape the fumes that come from burning coal. Difficult, isn’t it? This is the reality for many Mongolians living in one of the coldest, most polluted cities in the world, Ulaanbaatar. However, thanks to the innovations...
Mashrur Hossain uses technology to alleviate poverty, strengthen food security, and fight climate change in his home country, Bangladesh. Read about a young engineer’s AI-based solution that could change the lives of millions of smallholder farmers, even beyond Bangladesh’s...
Trade, biodiversity, and sustainable development agendas can be mutually supportive, with small businesses as key agents of change.
Fragility manifests in different ways, across countries, regions and types of firms. The new ITC Fragility Exposure Index shows that small, informal, youth, and women-led firms often experience harsher repercussions from fragility than their larger, formal, older, and men-led counterparts,...
Can vulnerabilities become opportunities for resilience and food security? We believe the answer is yes, by transforming food systems in agriculture dependent economies through agroecology.
Using biotechnology, entrepreneur Lidia Díaz from the Dominican Republic sets out to conquer the frozen vegan food market. In a creative manner, she caters to the needs of conscious consumers who care for their health and the environment – and at the same time supports her local community. Read...
Evelyn Seltier of Trade Forum talked to Dinesh Prasad Parajuli, Chief Executive Officer of the Agro Enterprise Center in Nepal and the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce, about how the partnership with a banking institution has impacted the lives of small-scale farmers in his home country...
A closer look at how ITC turns the digital transition of small businesses in Africa into a sustainable proposition.
Vanuatu, a small island developing State in the Pacific, was ranked as the most vulnerable country globally to natural hazards in 2019. Sitting in the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” Vanuatu experiences frequent volcanic and seismic activity, facing existential threats due to rising sea level, ocean...
