Publication March 2021
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A new Position Paper on Sustainability Standards highlights SECO’s role in driving sustainability impacts in global value chains through voluntary sustainability standards such as Fairtrade International, Rainforest Alliance or Forest Stewardship Council™. Against the background of pressing global challenges linked to climate change, biodiversity loss, food insecurity and poverty, the paper elucidates new trends, analyzes the increasing interlinkages between government regulations and voluntary market-based standards and points at future priorities of SECO’s cooperation in this field.

Publication for 2021
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The advent of the food system is an exemplary phenomenon that industrializes agriculture to secure food availability for the ever-growing population. However, food system activities have been causing negative impacts on the environment and the imbalanced global distribution of food causes food insecurity in many developing countries. These challenges have been intensified by the COVID-19 pandemic. On the supply side of the food system, confinement measures and logistical disruptions have caused farm
production implications. On the demand side, food producers themselves have been severely impacted by further food insecurity and poverty.

Publication for 2020
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The nationwide lockdowns due to the spread of COVID-19 has forced developed and developing countries to halt their economies. The economies of many developing countries are based on the exploitation of agriculture that are correspondingly important in relation to their economic development. Therefore, recovery strategies must be targeted to pursue goals that also reflects the quality of life, especially of the vulnerable stakeholders involved in agri-food supply chains in developing countries. This paper elucidates the long-standing causes of concern caused by agri-food supply chains and how these have been aggravated by COVID-19 in developing countries.

Publication for 2020
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Transitioning to Strong Partnerships for the Sustainable Development Goals is an edited volume dedicated to current developments regarding SDG 17 “Partnerships for the Goals”. This goal contains preconditions and systemic issues that will facilitate the success of the SDGs in general. In this volume, a chapter on VSS on Achieving the Global 2030 Agenda: What Role for Voluntary Sustainability Standards? is available here. 

Publication for 2020
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This paper provides key lessons and discusses policy implications on how markets can generate balanced economic objectives that also achieve desired nutritional, social, and environmental outcomes. It also highlights areas of future research to further understand the linkages between market forces shaping food value chains (FVCs) and non-economic outcomes.

Publication for October 2020
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With the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the United Nations has called on the private sector to contribute more to achieving the sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This report helps decision makers in the public and private sectors to understand where voluntary sustainability standards are best placed to contribute. It maps the linkages between these standards and each SDG goal, including its specific targets.

Publication for September 2020
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The report explores the role of government as a vehicle to drive the adoption of Voluntary Sustainability Standards (VSS), which can be a powerful tool to help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and other public sustainability commitments. The effectiveness of VSS to contribute to sustainable development could play a significant role by integrating VSS into public procurement and trade policy.

Publication for July 2020
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Santiago Fernandez de Cordoba and Niematallah E.A. Elamin highlights the significance of transparency in terms of data availability for Voluntary Sustainability Standards (VSS) given the current lack of evidence in this area. Find out the possible reasons behind the lack of studies in this field and way forward for future research.

Publication for 19 June 2020
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Santiago Fernandez de Cordoba and Ruby Lambert speaks about the opportunity in the global coronavirus crisis to mitigate deglobalisation effects and create international trading system that works for all with Sustainable Value Chains.

Publication for 4 October 2019
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Sustainability standards continue their growth across the world.

This fourth global report provides new insights into the evolution of certified agriculture and forestry. ITC has teamed up once again with the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture and the International Institute for Sustainable Development to provide data about 14 major sustainability standards for bananas, cocoa, coffee, cotton, oil palm, soybeans, sugarcane, tea and forestry products. This report helps shape decisions of policymakers, producers and businesses, working to address systemic labour and environmental challenges through certified sustainable production.

Publication for September – October 2019
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UNFSS Coordinator, Santiago Fernandez de Cordoba speaks about standards as an important component of international trade. International standards can enable exporters from developing countries to unlock access to global value chains and alleviate poverty. For the world’s poorest countries – where trade plays an essential role in their economic development – so-called sustainability standards can be a powerful tool to drive growth and ensure inclusive development.