Within the SUPPLY CHA!NGE project, the EEB gathered diverse stakeholders around a table to achieve a deeper understanding of each other’s vision of the potential development of the supply chain until 2030. The positive scenario method was very useful for creating agreement amongst diverse stakeholders and for integrating their different perspectives into their supply chain development assessment. In addition, creativity methods used served to enable participants to think out of the box and inspire each other in creating innovative approaches to development challenges.
The representatives of retailers, policy makers and CSOs that participated in the workshop agreed on the challenges for the future, on the ways to take and on the developments that need to happen. Surprisingly, reality seems to go a different way. It is necessary to research further what causes this divergence.
Supply chain’ actors seem to be diversifying concerning consumption patterns, demands concerning supply chain management, and capacities for information processing and influencing rules and regulations. Actors also seem to be converging concerning the vision of a sustainable supply chain and assessment of the challenges of how to realize it. This process of diversification and convergence together may hold unpredictable potential.
The impact any individual actor has on the supply chain, even retailers, is very small. Therefore, systemic change by 2030 is unlikely although the best chance to create a big impact in supply chains will be though behavioral change. However behavioral change is a great challenge. Traceability is possible and being implemented already, and was seen as very hopeful, because it is a necessary factor for change.
In general, the result of the workshop was that a wide range of information was exchanged and organised by the participants and a broad assessment of the potential supply chain development until 2030 was co-created. It was especially remarkable to all participants how far-reaching an agreement was reached about the preferable scenario. The general assessment of how likely such a development will be, remained sceptical, although many positive trends were jointly recognized by the participants.