In August of 2007, some forty academic, business, and NGO leaders gathered near Boston to look at the state of “healthy value chains”–those that provide social and economic benefit to all players in the chain while providing greater protection for ecosystems and natural resources. The meeting, convened by the Sustainable Food Lab, WWF, and the Society for Organizational Learning, provided an opportunity for value chain practitioners in several industries–including food, textiles, and energy, among others–to compare notes on common problems and innovative solutions.

This document is an outcome of that meeting, and is offered in preparation for a follow-up meeting to be held in Rhode Island in June, 2008. In the pages that follow, we bring together several case studies as well as descriptions of tools and methods that have been useful to members of this ad hoc coalition of value chain veterans. We expect it will be useful, by the way, even if you are unable to join us in Rhode Island.