Financial and technical investments in supply chain resilience seeks to decrease supply and price volatility in supply chains due to environmental factors and improve long term sustainability of raw material production for business. Complex supply chains for raw materials including commodities challenge consumer goods companies’ ability to assure price and supply resilience. A wide range of investments and actions can be undertaken by companies and governments to improve sustainability and decrease the impact of food, fiber, and other renewable raw material production on nature. These include anti-deforestation commitments, adherence to sustainable sourcing certifications, technical support and financial incentives down the supply chain, and investments in appropriate technology or research to improve the sustainability and productivity of raw material production.
One example of an inhouse effort to improve supply chain resilience is Whole Foods Market’s use of seafood sustainability certification and rating programs. The supermarket chain only sells wild caught fish that have either been certified by the Marine Stewardship Council or either earning Green (Best Choices) or Yellow (Good Alternatives) status by the Seafood Watch rating program. These tools help reduce the supermarket’s purchases of unsustainable seafood while also providing transparency on seafood supply chains to consumers.
Corporate Supply Chain Management
Sustainable corporate supply chain management refers to targeted initiatives meant to improve the sustainability, cost effectiveness, and risk profile of a company's supply chain. It includes a wide range of actions that combine reducing environmental impacts with efforts that can also save money, reduce value chain volatility (price and supply), improve supplier relations, better manage brand reputation, and reduce other political, social and environmental risks. Examples include avoiding deforestation in raw materials sourcing, tracking or greening commodity sources, replacing toxic or otherwise harmful materials, etc.