Agricultural Sustainability Days in Chile - Chile EN
Agricultural Sustainability Days in Chile
During the recent Agricultural Sustainability Days, a three-day program organized by the OECD and FAO, in collaboration with Chilean institutions and supported by the Government of the Netherlands and the European Union, Responsible Business Conduct (RBC) was the main focus on the agenda. Responsible Business Conduct (RBC) is a cornerstone of sustainable development. It requires companies to identify, prevent, mitigate, and account for environmental, social, human rights, and governance impacts across their entire value chain. By applying international RBC instruments, businesses can strengthen resilience, contribute to sustainable growth, and align with global expectations on sustainability and ESG criteria.
Agricultural supply chains play a vital role in this process. They generate employment, transfer knowledge and technology, and provide investments needed to increase production sustainably. From input provision and on-farm production to post-harvest handling, processing, transport, marketing, and retail, these chains involve a wide range of actors—from smallholders and cooperatives to multinational companies, government agencies, and financial institutions. When aligned with international RBC standards, these actors can more effectively mitigate risks, enhance resilience, and contribute to food security and national development goals.
The Agricultural Sustainability Days started with a field visit to the Aconcagua Valley, where over 20 participants observed firsthand how sustainability and RBC practices are applied in avocado production. In this region, the Aconcagua Network—part of the WAVE initiative—works closely with international value chains to promote more sustainable watershed management.
This public-private alliance, supported by the Dutch Partners for Water program under the Netherlands International Water Ambition (NIWA), brings together public and private actors, civil society, and the knowledge community. Examples in the valley include water efficiency measures, the use of high-yield cloned trees, and actions to conserve and restore native forests and biodiversity.
During an evening event, our ambassador Elke Merks-Schaapveld, together with high representatives of the OECD and the FAO, shared the importance of this topic with a wider audience of attendees to the meetings to be held the following day. Also a representative from IDH (The Fair Trade Initiative) discussed the global importance of RBC in the agricultural value chain and representatives of Dutch Company Rijk Zwaan and Grupo Hijuelas, working closely with Dutch companies, shared their strategies to adhere to and their experiences with Responsible Business Conduct.
In the following days, presentations and roundtables focused on strengthening RBC in agricultural supply chains and advancing toward a more sustainable sector. Looking ahead, the Embassy of the Netherlands will organize a series of workshops on Responsible Business Conduct in agriculture in 2026, continuing to promote practices that generate real impact in the territory.