6 september 2024
In recent weeks, the draft scheme for responsibly produced coir has been presented to a group of international stakeholders to create support and gather feedback for improvement. Among the interviewed stakeholders are traders, retailers, NGOs and industry associations.
The stakeholder consultation is an important step in the development of the scheme to gather independent input on the responsible production of coir. Prior to the interviews, the stakeholders received the draft scheme. Feedback has been collected through individual interviews.
The stakeholders provided feedback on, among other things, the purpose and scope of the scheme, the criteria, the progressive approach and the company-specific management plan. The overall impression of the stakeholders regarding the scheme is positive. The feedback has led to a number of adjustments to the scheme. These were discussed and confirmed this week by the 13 coir companies that support the project.
The next and final phase in the development of the scheme is to perform the pilot audits. Several companies have signed up to participate in this pilot phase. The audits are carried out by IMO. The overall goal of this pilot phase is to test the scheme and interpret the criteria in practice. The pilot phase is expected to be completed in early 2025.
