The method comprises six steps that are adaptable to the country and supply chain context. It is an iterative rather than a linear process and most elements can be considered as building blocks to be implemented in parallel. Deforestation is taken as an example throughout the description of the Transparency Pathway but the method can be applied to any other measurable sustainability issue.
Step 1
Building trust by engaging stakeholders
Forming a stakeholder committee with a trusted facilitator, through an inclusive, structured and equitable process.
Step 2
Measuring subnational commodity deforestation
Compiling production and deforestation data and choosing a suitable territorial unit for monitoring.
Step 3
Assessing jurisdictional sustainability
Setting risk thresholds for commodity deforestation and choosing positive metrics of territorial sustainability.
Step 4
Supply chain tracking to jurisdictions
Using best available traceability information to identify the links between production territories and downstream market actors.
Step 5
Establishing a central point of information
Establishing a data visualisation platform combining territorial and supply chain information.
Step 6
Supporting independent monitoring
Giving a nonpartisan organisation access to necessary data to conduct independent monitoring.