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The Full Circle Initiative
A holistic approach
Each natural product is a custodian of its origin and a lifeline to places threatened by environmental destruction and related social problems
Natural products are precious gifts. They are offered to us to admire, taste, and enjoy. And they provide opportunities to create values throughout the supply chain. The Full Circle Initiative aims to raise awareness to aid fairer distribution of profits throughout the supply chain. Under our holistic approach, a share of profits generated in beneficial markets will be returned to the source.
The Full Circle Initiative actively supports the development of projects that enable sustainable co-existence between nature and people. Projects are implemented in places where ecosystems of high ecological value, such as rainforests, are threatened by the livelihood needs of local communities.
The Full Circle Initiative "in a nutshell"
The Full Circle Initiative fosters integrated landscape development based on strategic visioning and planning.
Using participatory approaches, the Initiative aims to develop endogenous innovations via locally owned, innovative micro-projects, called iLabs, which meet key sustainability criteria. In addition, we aim to unlock value-chain benefits – from the source to regional/international target markets – and return more profits to producers and their environment (see graph). The improved product or service values resulting from iLabs are designed to enable local project leaders to achieve more economic security and independent without depleting natural resources.
All processes and outputs are closely monitored to maximize local potential and enable learning from the iLabs and related processes.
The term landscape describes an area, as perceived by people, whose character is the result of the action and interaction of natural and/or human factors” (European Landscape Convention, 2000).
Landscapes encompass all natural features as well as the complete living space of humans themselves.
Module: Unlocking added values in supply chains
Value chains shape societies worldwide. By creating stronger links between source and target locations, we increase responsible collaboration for the benefit of all. Economic actors who participate in the Full Circle Initiative agree to return a share of their value-chain profits to the people and natural environments where the goods or services are initially sourced. In return, such participants reap social and emotional benefits and the chance to create added value in various markets and supply chains. Linking consumers to producers at the source generates mutually beneficial opportunities.
Module: Empowering endogenous potential
The process of working towards a shared vision of sustainable coexistence between humans and nature (integrated landscapes) rests on continuous mutual learning and development of innovative micro-projects, known as iLabs.
Locally developed core ideas are assessed according to jointly defined sustainability criteria. The criteria are guided by the perspective of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Successful applicants benefit from scientific knowledge, technology transfer, and/or a starting grant.
The development process of these “innovative laboratories”, called iLabs, is crucial – it aims to stimulate locally rooted innovation and action.
This module encompasses a process of analysing the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of a given landscape. All the stakeholders involved jointly elaborate a shared vision for the landscape in question.
This shared vision provides the basis for planning of locally developed measures. The process is also anchored regionally by means of a multi-stakeholder platform that brings together representatives from different key sectors.
Module: Integrated landscape development
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