Ghana will host a major international gathering of supply chain leaders, government officials and sustainability experts on 9 June 2026 in Accra, as the country faces some of the most significant changes to global commodity trade in a generation.

The ISEAL Global Sustainability Symposium, convened by ISEAL, the global membership organisation for sustainability standards systems, will bring together producers, policymakers and businesses from across the world to look at how supply chains can be made more resilient and equitable in an era of climate shocks, market volatility and tightening regulation.

The choice of Accra as host city is deliberate. As the world's second largest cocoa producer and a major timber exporter, Ghana sits at the centre of the very supply chain debates the Symposium will address. With the European Union's Deforestation Regulation now confirmed for full application by 30 December 2026, the need for more inclusive and resilient supply chains that can withstand regulatory pressure has never been greater.

"In Ghana and across global supply chains, resilience is not an abstract concept. It is a daily reality for producers navigating climate shocks, price volatility and shifting demands. Policy, markets and sustainability systems need to work better together to respond to these challenges." Karin Kreider, Executive Director, ISEAL

The Symposium will place producers at the centre of the conversation. Sessions will look at what resilience means from a producer's standpoint, how credible certification and standards systems can support market access, and where better alignment is needed between voluntary standards, national policy and regulation.

Ghana's own work in this area will feature prominently in the discussions. COCOBOD's Ghana Cocoa Traceability System, which has been rolling out across the 2025/2026 crop season to link every bag of cocoa from farm plot to port, is one of the most ambitious producer-country responses to the EUDR anywhere in West Africa. The Symposium gives it a global platform and connects it to wider international conversations.

EVENT AT A GLANCE

• ISEAL Global Sustainability Symposium, 9 June 2026, Accra, Ghana
• Convened by ISEAL, the global membership organisation for sustainability systems
• Supported by the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO)
• Brings together producers, governments, businesses and sustainability systems from across global value chains
• Registration open at isealalliance.org

The event is hosted with support from the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO). Ghana is a priority country for SECO's economic development cooperation, recognised for its pivotal role in fostering growth and stability in the region. The country is actively pursuing economic growth, social progress, and environmental sustainability.

For Ghana, hosting the Symposium is more than a logistical choice. It is a statement about the country's role. Not as a passive subject of external regulation, but as an active participant in shaping how global sustainability systems are designed and put into practice.