Coalition for Sustainable Livelihoods Development Workshop Report

A collaborative planning workshop was held on September 19-20, 2018 in Medan, Indonesia with the aim of gathering stakeholder input to shape and build the Coalition for Sustainable Livelihoods. The Coalition is an emerging initiative focused on driving sustainable agriculture and natural resource management to support livelihoods in North Sumatra and Aceh. Nearly 130 representatives from across government, private sector, financial institutions, and civil society joined the Coalition's initial supporting partners – including Conservation International (CI), Danone, The Sustainable Trade Initiative (IDH), The Livelihoods Fund, Mars Wrigley Confectionary, Mondelēz International, PepsiCo, The Forest Trust (TFT), and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). The goal: to capture the value of diverse collaboration through a sustainable landscape approach in contributing to sustainable livelihoods and improved natural resources management. By aligning public and private sector efforts, the Coalition aims to help advance government programs and policies as well as contribute to supply chain sustainability for companies operating in and purchasing products from North Sumatra and Aceh.

Workshop participants heard from government officials on visions for their respective programs and specific regencies, as well as academics and industry experts related to cocoa, coffee, palm oil, rubber, agroforestry and sustainable landscape approaches. Farmer representatives clearly outlined needs and interests of smallholder producers. Diverse stakeholder panels addressed both tensions and opportunities for alignment and collaboration. Participants then discussed tangible strategies and next steps during both breakout groups and plenary sessions.

This report details the workshop's background, structure, key conclusions and next steps.

For more information, contact Katie Thomason at kthomason@conservation.org