Rita Earth

The Regional Impact Trade Alliance (RITA) is an emerging international civil society organisation that will serve as a global impact trade platform for purpose-driven cities, regions,
bio-regions and small nations.

Our purpose is to catalyse new commercial advantages for regions based on their responses to climate change, biodiversity loss, social inequality and other Sustainable Development Goals. Multi-sector collaboration, region-wide agreements and economic innovations (macro and micro) are the three minimum conditions categories that enable membership.

By rewarding regions that create good for the World and the Planet, RITA also acts as a promotion body for a new global positioning of impact regions.

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Building Partnerships

Facilitating Inter-Regional Agreements

While system building,
business doing

The RITA Initiative has been promoted by individual leadership from different continents. Yet, currently, different catalytic organizations are joining in its promotion within the scope of their geographic areas. For example, in the Iberoamerican region the following organizations are involved in catalytic roles:

Alterna (Guatemala), Kausana (Mar del Plata), the Sustainable Business Hub of Andrés Bello University from Chile, ECODES (Aragón and the Basque Country), Fundação O Boticário (biomes in the states of Rio de Janeiro and Paraná), Sinal do Vale (Recôncavo de Guanabara), Nativa (various territories in Brazil), Pura (Baja California Sur), 3 Vectores (Uruguay), and Fondo Beta (financial sustainability models), Sistema B Uruguay, Sistema B Colombia. As it can be noticed, it reflects a variety of organizational options…Business, Universities, NGOs, Philanthropy & and Impact Funds.

Testimony by Thais Corral, Agreement between Sinal Do Valde from Reconcavo de Guanabara and Aboca from Tuscany/Umbria

The Regional Impact Trade Alliance (RITA) is an emerging international civil society organisation that will serve as a global impact trade platform for purpose-driven cities, regions,
bio-regions and small nations.

By rewarding regions that create good for the World and the Planet, RITA also acts as a promotion body for a new global positioning of impact regions.

DOWNLOAD INFO

Global Issues that RITA is seeking to address:

- Social and Environmental inequality of global relevance.

- International trade which is no longer fit for purpose

- Ineffective and Insufficient Multilateralism (including global north south dynamics).

- Sector and industry silos that hinder regional economic transition

By working at the scales of cities, regions, small nations and bio-regions, through trust centered trade we can better connect place-based sustainable opportunities, while creating new regenerative value chains and markets, enhancing regional unique selling propositions, good locally and globally.

Solutions that RITA is seeking to enable:

Existing international trade systems do not reward sufficiently practices that create the conditions for long-term social and environmental solutions, including peace, trust and transparent impact measurement. Emerging legislation addressing decarbonization or deforestation doesn't include commercial rewards for those who over perform (ej: regeneration). Neither differentiates sub national regions that comply even with higher standards.

Expanding local impact innovations beyond domestic markets into mainstream inter-regional trade

Radical multi-sector between regions of the Global North and the Global South

Trade for People Prosperity, Communities and Planet (better reflecting true costs, risks and benefits)

Public and private market led innovations for issues such as climate change, water, biodiversity loss and inequality.

System Building:

Building Blocks

RIO - a global brand (RIO - Regional Impact Origin) inspired in Product Denomination of Origin to be granted to those regions that meet certain Minimum Verification Conditions in three categories: 1. region wide responses to needs of global nature such as climate, loss of biodiversity and reduction of inequality, 2. Macro and Micro economic innovations that enable economic transition such as impact business and investment models, public policies and impact promotion instruments, services and knowledge, 3. Mechanisms for multi stakeholder collaboration. RIOs will be granted rights to a Membership Registry, seasonal programmes of inter regional impact trade roundtables, trade missions, fairs and other gatherings.
With full engagement of territories and catalytic serving organizations, RITA hopes to develop a global governance system with the leadership by Impact Regions. Simultaneously, RITA hopes to develop serving global and continental “executive” backbone organizations and alliances.
With expertise from the investment world, RITA will develop a financial mechanism that sustains the operative system. It may include a combination of membership fees, percentages of deals, etc.
An international virtual ongoing space that facilitates trust building between multi stakeholder leadership for impact trading conditions between regions with impact lenses.

A bi annual in situ global forum for RIOs combined with an open space for aspiring regions. The FORUM may be matched with special events for specific continents.
RITA will develop an indicator that enables measuring regional competitiveness together with the positive impact created for the World and the Planet.
RITA will design a “good news” delivery on region based progress, competitiveness and impact inter territorial trade.
Access to impact investment opportunities;

Access to new markets with impact solutions;

Facilitation of inter regional governmental, academic, scientific and civil society and multi stakeholder leadership collaborations;

Global visibility of RIO Regions.

Other services that may arise.

How RITA members work together

RITA will be a system of regions collaborating to share and scale social and environmental solutions through the power of international trade. Aspiring Impact Trade Regions will need to first fulfill minimum criteria which will grant access to: a membership registry, a new "Regional Impact Trade" brand mark and a seasonal programme of inter regional gatherings, a technological platform, round tables, impact trade missions, fairs and other spaces. The aim is to facilitate access to regional markets, financial capital, talents and knowledge.

Membership requirements

Regions will need to address three minimum conditions categories for eligibility, including:

Regions must have demonstrated multi-sector partnerships, innovation Hubs or other mechanisms which overcome polarisation and separation.

Multi-Sector Collaboration

Regions must have place-based policies and private strategies that, while responding to their own needs, also contribute to the global Common Good.

Region-wide Agreements

Regions must include organisations with impact models, policies/instruments, products, services & knowledge that address social and environmental needs, as well as enable economic transition.

Macro & Micro
Economic Innovations

Our Origin and Story

The Regional Impact Trade Alliance (RITA) can trace its beginnings to “COVID-19” conversations in late 2020, when Matt Sykes, Rafael Kemelmajer and Pedro Tarak began comparing the impact innovation ecosystems of Melbourne (Australia) and Mendoza (Argentina).

In November 2021, an online pilot inter-regional Impact Trade Roundtable was held between leaders in Mendoza and Melbourne around the themes of Water, Waste and Wine. In June 2022, we participated in inter-regional meetings at Stockholm+50 (hosted by Nille Skalts), and then the Impact Trade gathering in Sansepolcro (Italy) co-hosted with Aboca (pharmaceutical B Corp) and Sistema B led to the formation of a global working group.

In April 2023, leaders from Copenhagen, Umbria, Uruguay, Rio de Janeiro, Parana Delta, Florianopolis, Mendoza and Melbourne, gathered at the ‘Meeting in Mendoza’ for a week of strategic workshops (with virtual participation from Tel Aviv).

In October 2023, RITA was registered as a legal non-profit organisation in Melbourne, Australia, and is now being activated via an 18-month Action Plan.

Activities 2024: RITA explored interest with potential funding sources and global partners, held public presentations across four continents, led preparatory workshops in Spain, and convened the upcoming Iberoamerican Gathering in Mendoza (June 2025).

Activities 2025: In 2025, RITA advanced sustainability models with Beta Fund, activated a volunteer team in Paris, and held preparatory workshops in Brazil with Fundação O Boticário. Efforts focused on engaging funding and technical partners and preparing the Iberoamerican Gathering to facilitate proposals on RIOs, governance, and sustainability, aiming toward a second Euro-Latinamerican Gathering in 2026.