A new report by the Swiss Academy of Sciences (SCNAT), Beyond the Transaction: Commodity Trade and Sustainable Development, reviews the latest scientific evidence on the relationships between commodity trade, sustainability governance, and global value chains.

The report examines Switzerland's role as a major global commodity trading hub and explores topics including the growing influence of trading houses, the financialisation of commodity markets, the limitations of current sustainability regulations, and the implications of rising geopolitical tensions.

The publication brings together expertise from more than 30 researchers across eleven Swiss institutions. Among the contributors are Prof. Janina Grabs and Dr. Charline Depoorter from the Sustainability Research Group at the University of Basel.

Drawing on insights from economics, law, environmental studies, political science, and the social sciences, the report provides an interdisciplinary overview of current knowledge on commodity trade and its implications for sustainable development.