27 MARCH, 2018 INTERNATIONAL TRADE CENTRE, 54 RUE DE MONTBRILLANT, GENEVA 8:30-13:00 NO SUCH THING AS A COMMODITY According to the management theorist, Theodore Levitt, writing in the Harvard Business Review in 1980, There is no such thing as a commodity. All goods and services are differentiable. 1 This joint International Trade Centre (ITC) and World Economic Forum event will explore new opportunities for firms in developing and least developed countries to move away from commodity dependency to higher value-added production and trade. This joint event will cover: Strategies, policies and ecosystems to create and capture higher value-added in the production, export and distribution of goods and services; The ability for developing countries to create and own their own IP protected brands; The impact of digital trade and technologies in creating new routes to market; Leveraging capabilities in regional and global value chains to set in place sustainable and durable increases in local value-added. AGENDA 8:00-8:30 Registration 8:30-8:45 Welcome address Anders Aeroe, Director, Division of Enterprises and Institutions, ITC 8:45-9:00 Africa beyond commodities: realities and new opportunities Ali Mufuruki, Chairman and CEO, Infotech Investment Group LTD of Tanzania 9:00-10:00 Successes: How countries, companies and sectors have sought to overcome the commodity trap Understanding where strategies at the macro-economic, corporate and sector level have created superior value. Stefan Csordas, Associate Economic Affairs Officer, Commodity Research and Analysis Section, UNCTAD Warren Sako, Executive Director at FarmGate Foundation, World Cocoa Farmers Organization Sabrina Heinekey, Director, International Business, M&C Saatchi, London 10:00-10:15 Break 10:15-11:45 Opportunities: what is changing and what new potential does this create? 1 https://hbr.org/1980/01/marketing-success-through-differentiation-of-anything
How changes in business models supported by Intellectual Property Rights (IPR), innovative distribution arrangements, new sources of funding, digital technologies and online trade open greater potential for developing countries to create and retain value. Ron Layton, CEO, Position Business, Ltd Tom Carew, Founder, Bean Auction Brindusa Burrows, Founder and CEO, The Ground_Up Project 11:45-12:45 Ecosystems: How can the opportunities be supported by policy, supply chain actors and other enabling factors? What policies will enable developing countries and their firms to gain more value and control in global value chains? How can the protection of trademarks, industrial designs, and geographical indications assist MSMEs to develop their own brands? What other trade and investment policy issues such as services liberalization, facilitation measures and regulatory coherence are most relevant? Jodie Keane, Economic Adviser, Trade, Oceans and Natural Resources Directorate, Commonwealth Secretariat David Muls, Senior Director, Department for Trademarks, Industrial Designs & Geographical Indications, Brands and Designs Sector, WIPO TBC Moderator: James Howe, Senior Adviser, International Marketing and Branding, ITC 12:45-13:00 Closing remarks
27 MARCH, 2018 INTERNATIONAL TRADE CENTRE, 54 RUE DE MONTBRILLANT, GENEVA 8:30-13:00 NO SUCH THING AS A COMMODITY Speaker Profiles Anders Aeroe Director Division of Enterprises and Institutions ITC Anders held several positions within ITC, including as Acting Deputy Executive Director and as Chief of the Market Analysis and Research Section. Anders focused on the interrelated topics of competitiveness and trade development at enterprise, organizational and policy level, trade intelligence, trade in services, sector and value chain development, and industrial transformation, learning and innovation. He has had several positions including as a regional adviser to the Danish Industrialization Fund for Developing Countries and prior to this position as Senior Manager Trade Promotion at the Western Cape Trade and Investment Promotion Agency. Founder and CEO The Ground_Up Project The Ground_Up Project is a deal-sourcing platform for sustainability. With an in-built automated benchmarking mechanism, the platform sources, scores and filters investment opportunities to match investors expectations. Brindusa was with the World Economic Forum when she developed a multi-country programme to design financing instruments for the green economy under the G20. Brindusa Burrows
Founder Bean Auction Ltd Bean Auction is the first online coffee broker. The company uses auction and marketplace technology to establish the value of green coffee and streamlinesales and procurement processes. Business analyst. Tom Carew Associate Economic Affairs Officer Commodity Research and Analysis Section UNCTAD Stefan is an economist in UNCTAD's Commodities Branch, where his work focuses on the links between commodity dependence and development. Previously Stefan has held staff positions at UNECA, GIZ and the World Bank. Stefan Csordas Director International Business M&C Saatchi London M&C Saatchi is a global full service independent communications agency renowned for its iconic work on numerous commercial and destination brands. For over 15 years, Sabrina has worked in more than 30 countries on five continents creating effective communications strategies. For a decade, she led award-winning EPIC Global Media, an international multimedia agency. Sabrina Heinekey
Senior Adviser International Marketing and Branding ITC James leads advisory work on international marketing, branding and e-commerce in the Sector and Enterprise Competitiveness section of ITC. His background includes international marketing strategy in the private sector: in logistics and transportation (DHL), consulting (ZS Associates), investment banking (JP Morgan), chemicals (Dow Chemical). James Howe Economic Adviser Trade, Oceans and Natural Resources Directorate of the Commonwealth Secretariat Jodie is responsible for global advocacy on emerging trade issues and the supporting global architecture Her work on Global Value Chains focuses on the trade-related implementation agenda of the Sustainable Development Goals Jodie began her career in Vietnam and Cambodia as an economist and trade and development specialist, working on non-market economy issues for the World Bank. Jodie Keane CEO Position Business, Ltd Ron designed a process for financing and implementing large numbers of positioning investments for low-income stakeholders globally. 2001-2016: Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Light Years IP (NGO): Designed and implemented innovative business development strategies for export sectors in Least Developed Countries, changing terms of trade. Ron Layton
Senior Director Department for Trademarks, Industrial Designs & Geographical Indications, Brands and Designs Sector World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) WIPO is the global forum for intellectual property policy, services, information and cooperation. Specialized agency of the United Nations, WIPO assists its 191 member states in developing a balanced international IP legal framework to meet society s evolving need. David Muls Chair and CEO Farmgate Cocoa Alliance (FCA) World Cocoa Farmers Organization (WCFO) FCA is a grass-root oriented non-profit organization that bring together diverse stakeholders in the cocoa value chain, who are committed to see a cocoa sector that is inclusive, transparent, accountable, and sustainable and that benefits everyone in the value chain. WCFO is created by farmers for farmers. Its goal is to unite cocoa farmers under one umbrella organization and give them a united voice in the cocoa value chain. Mukete Sako Warren