Rita Earth

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). AS it can be noticed, it reflects a variety of organizational options…Business, Universities, NGOs, Philanthropy & and Impact Funds.

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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And this year, we have the

first Ibero-American

RITA Gathering

of Impact Regions and Trade

EXPLORE

Join the Alliance for impact regions that pursue globally relevant solutions in their own places and innovate micro and macro economic DNA through multi stakeholder co creation. In addition, promoting trade and positive exchanges for the common good with other pioneering impact regions.

Issues

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 (regeneration). Neither differentiates sub national regions that comply even with higher standards.

Post-2020 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

Solutions

By working at the scales of cities, regions, small nations and bio-regions, we can better connect place-based innovations to matching risks and vulnerabilities, while creating new regenerative value chains and markets.

Solutions that RITA is seeking to enable:

Expanding impact innovations beyond domestic markets into mainstream global trade

Radical multi-sector collaboration between Global North and 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:

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

About: Origin 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.