[Expert opinion] - Global sustainability models are broken
By Anu Adedoyin Adasolum, CEO - Sabi
Global sustainability models are failing. They’ve been designed to showcase ethical trade and environmental responsibility, but they fundamentally misunderstand how global supply chains operate—especially the critical, unseen work at the beginning of essential value chains such as critical minerals.
For decades, these models have burdened African merchants, miners, and farmers—the backbone of global industries from cocoa to lithium—while corporations further along the chain claim the benefits. The systems celebrate end products, like sleek electric vehicles (EVs) or iPhones, while ignoring the heavy lifting at the start of the work, where it’s most difficult.
This imbalance in sustainability frameworks doesn’t just sideline African businesses. It undermines the entire premise of accountability that we want to engender amongst commercial supply chain stakeholders.