UEBT defines practices that respect people and biodiversity in the way ingredients from biodiversity are grown, collected, researched, processed and commercialised. The UEBT standard is used to independently check that these practices are systemically applied.
he UEBT standard is formally known as the Ethical BioTrade Standard and it consists of seven principles covering important social,
environmental and economic issues. Companies and other organisations use the Ethical BioTrade Standard to promote good practices in their operations and along their supply chains – all the way to the cultivation or
wild collection sites.
The UEBT standard builds on the BioTrade Principles and Criteria as developed by the UNCTAD BioTrade Initiative.
It was revised in 2020 after a comprehensive consultation with a wide range of company, community and civil society stakeholders.
There will be a 12-month transition (July 2020 to July 2021) process to the new standard for UEBT members and we aim to make the transition as smooth as possible.
Better defined practices and detailed guidance for biodiversity conservation and sustainable use, with an increased focus on regeneration of biodiversity.
A more outcome-based approach, emphasizing monitoring of actions taken, assessing results and implementing improvements.
More guidance on cost calculation so that fairer prices are paid to farmers and wild collectors.
Better alignment with legal and policy developments related to access and benefit sharing (ABS) and the Nagoya Protocol.
Further alignment with United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and International Labour Organisation conventions.
A continuous improvement (stepwise) approach, with some actions that can be prioritized in future stages.
UEBT welcomes any proposals, inputs or clarifications to the UEBT standard. Comments will be incorporated into the next revision process.
Please contact us via comments@ethicalbiotrade.org.
