History of the Union
The idea behind forming the Union was born out of the need expressed by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in developing countries for ways to differentiate BioTrade products in the market. It stems from efforts initiated by the BioTrade Initiative of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), which was created to contribute to international efforts to promote sustainable development and biodiversity conservation.
Developing country partners have been driving the development of the Union for Ethical BioTrade, a process that UNCTAD has keenly supported.
The terms of reference for the Union were refined during the course of various business roundtables. In March 2006, at the Eighth Conference of the Parties to the CBD held in Curitiba, Brazil, UNCTAD organised a roundtable on biological diversity with SMEs. The event emphasised the opportunities that trade in goods and services derived from native biodiversity can have for the economic development of local communities. In May 2006, a further roundtable was organised during the Vitafoods Trade Fair in Geneva, where the idea to form an organisation that could provide guidance for the sustainable use of biological diversity and market recognition of BioTrade products was born.
Subsequently, the Union for Ethical BioTrade was conceptualised. A small but diverse group of seventeen pioneering organisations created the Union, with the private sector actors of the group taking the lead. On 8 May 2007, a year after the idea was born, a meeting of the founding members took place during at Vitafoods Geneva and the articles of association were approved.