Webinar: Sustainable Business in Action

07 October 2025 Netherlands Cocoa and Cocoa Products, Coffee, Fish and Seafood, Fresh Fruit and Vegetables, Grains, Pulses and Oilseeds, Honey, Natural Food Additives, Natural Ingredients for Cosmetics, Natural Ingredients for Health Products, Processed Fruit and Vegetables and Edible Nuts, Spices and Herbs, Apparel, Home Decoration and Home Textiles, Outsourcing (ITO/BPO), Tourism

CBI proudly invites you to the Sustainable Business in Action-webinar, taking place on 7 October 2025 from 12:00–13:30 CEST. Join our online webinar where we will:

Showcase inspiring best practices from small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) worldwide;
Connect with frontrunners in sustainable trade;
Announce the winner of the CBI Sustainable Business Award 2025.

About the award

We celebrate SMEs in our partner countries which excel in social and/or environmental sustainability. At CBI, sustainability is important for long-term success. Many SMEs in our projects are leading the way in sustainable business practices, but their achievements often go unseen. The CBI Sustainable Business Award 2025 recognises and rewards SMEs which have integrated sustainability into their business operations.

We are organising this online award ceremony to:

Highlight impactful CSR practices;
Inspire exporters worldwide;
Create new opportunities for visibility and international connections, especially with European importers.

The winning SME will receive a tailor-made study trip to the Netherlands, where CBI offers valuable networking opportunities and potential business connections. All finalists will benefit from international recognition and a stronger professional network.

Save the date: 7 October 2025 | 12.00 – 13.30 (CEST)

During our online award ceremony, we will not only announce the winner of the Sustainable Business Award. We will also bring together outstanding SMEs, CBI partners, alumni, and importers. You can expect inspirational cases from around the world and the chance to connect with frontrunners in sustainable trade.

Why attend?

Attending the webinar gives you the chance to:

Discover best practices and concrete examples of sustainable entrepreneurship;
Be inspired by SMEs that have successfully integrated sustainability into their business models.

Who is invited to the online award ceremony?

The online award ceremony is open to:

CBI project participants;
Partners;
Importers;
Alumni;
Anyone connected to sustainable production and trade who wants to make a difference.

Programme highlights

The event will start with a welcome from Judith Arends, CBI's managing director. Then, the top 3 finalists will present their unique sustainability journeys. Following that, there will be a panel discussion with global leaders discussing the impact of responsible business in supply chains.

The panel of judges, which includes experts from CSR Netherlands and the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, will then deliver their verdict. Marchel Gerrmann, Director of Sustainable Economic Development at the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, will announce the winner of the award.