Arancha Gonzalez

Economic desperation often drives wildlife destruction like poaching or illegal logging. But trade can help create powerful financial incentives for communities to preserve the biodiversity around them.

African pressure has led the E.U. to rethink part of its agricultural subsidy programme.

In my experience, what is often missing between intent and action is the knowledge and the means to actually change the way we do business or make consumer decisions.

The lack of livelihood opportunities in refugee camps pushes many people to embark on dangerous journeys in the quest for a better life.

Japan has huge potential in women - potential, especially in the area of the economy, that Japan is not using fully.

Fully implementing the WTO trade facilitation agreement is one ingredient to reduce border delays and costs for traded merchandise.

In the ten years leading up to 2013, quinoa prices nearly tripled on the back of skyrocketing international demand for the latest 'superfood'. The grain had traditionally been cultivated in the high Andean plateau, principally for household consumption. But as prices rose, farmers' incentive to sell it as a cash crop grew.

Through the SITA initiative, we are building bridges between India and East Africa by taking Indian companies to these countries to see with their own eyes what the opportunities are.

Our key objective is to remove obstacles to trade.

We survey companies and ask them what the barriers to export and import are. Once we map these barriers, we sit down with the companies on one side and the government and regulatory agencies on the other and help them identify obstacles to trade and what has to be done to tackle them.

Technology is making it easier for women to connect to business opportunities around the world. Legal obstacles must not be allowed to stand in their way. That's not just because it's economically smart. It's because discrimination shouldn't be the law.

I have been talking to trade ministers in various countries who all say that gender inclusivity is important to them. We need to make this importance visible to the rest of the world and catalyse action towards more inclusive trade.