Sustainable chain management maps out the economic, ecological and social effects that occur during the life cycle of a product and focuses on measures that improve the sustainability.

There is no ‘quick fix’ for sustainable chain management. Especially international chains with partners in developing countries are usually complex, because a world of difference exists, literally and figuratively, between the producers of raw materials and end-users. The chains leading from a coffee bean to a cup of coffee, from a cacao bean to a bar of chocolate and a cotton plant to baby clothing are highly segmented. Raw materials are transformed, change ownership and cross international frontiers before they reach the consumer.