The ‘first mile’ – the journey from the production farm to the first aggregation or processing point – is a critical yet often overlooked segment of agricultural supply chains. These case studies, produced by Proforest and commissioned by ISEAL, aim to shed light on the actors operating in this space and the dynamics that shape it, drawing on examples from cocoa, coffee, rubber and palm oil across diverse regions.

Small-scale producers play a vital role in sustainable production and land use — but too often, they lack the resources and economic resilience needed to adopt more sustainable practices.This case study highlights practical approaches that are helping bridge this gap by creating incentives that bring climate, environmental and social benefits, including premiums, incentives and recognising and rewarding community stewardship.Part of a series exploring promising approaches for enabling small-scale producer market access and shifts to sustainable production:

The ‘first mile’ – the journey from the production farm to the first aggregation or processing point – is a critical yet often overlooked segment of agricultural supply chains. This report, produced by Proforest and commissioned by ISEAL, aims to shed light on the actors operating in this space and the dynamics that shape it, drawing on examples from cocoa, coffee, rubber and palm oil across diverse regions.

This case study highlights how credible voluntary sustainability standards (VSS) support palm oil companies with regulatory requirements such as the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). Featuring the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), it explores how VSS enable traceability, ensure legal production, and promote smallholder inclusion - helping businesses build deforestation-and conversion-free (DCF) supply chains that go beyond compliance.

The first mile, the journey from production farm to the first aggregation or processing point, is a
critical yet often overlooked segment of agricultural supply chains. This report aims to shed light on
the actors operating in this space and the dynamics that shape it, drawing on examples from cocoa,
coffee, rubber and palm oil across diverse regions.