mcli2018

About UNFSS

This author UNFSS has created 7 entries.

November 30, 2023

The future of sustainable trade: VSS and due diligence regulations

This article builds upon the discussions that were held at the UNFSS Academic Advisory Council annual meeting 2023, 12 October 2023, European University Institute (EUI). Due diligence regulatory initiatives have been proliferating recently around the globe, aiming to advance the sustainability agenda through global value chains governance. Due diligence is an on-going, proactive and reactive process through which companies need to identify and address actual or potential risks in order to prevent or mitigate risks of contributing to adverse impacts associated

Read more
November 30, 2022

Navigating Voluntary Sustainability Standards from the lens of SWOT Framework

“The deadly impacts of climate change are here and now. Loss and damage can no longer be swept under the rug. It is a moral imperative. It is a fundamental question of international solidarity – and climate justice.” – Antonio Guterres, UN secretary general at the COP27 in Sharm-el- Sheikh. In his statement, UN secretary-general, Antonio Guterres said that the growing number of catastrophic events causing enormous suffering around the world had no warning or means of preparation; and calls

Read more
UNFSS National Platforms
May 25, 2022

Local Solutions for Global Challenges: The Role of UNFSS National Platforms’ Network in maximising benefits of Voluntary Sustainability Standards (VSS)

Everyday life has been struck by climate change effects, deepening poverty and hunger, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the crisis in Ukraine. As a result, the world is witnessing accelerating existing vulnerabilities and widening inequalities. The value of multilateralism and trade cannot be undermined in providing a sustainable recovery path, especially for the most vulnerable groups. In light of the above, the UNFSS National Platform and Initiative Cooperation Network (NPICN) met on 24th May

Read more
May 12, 2022

No Poverty among Smallholder Farmers: Can access to Voluntary Sustainability Standards (VSS)-compliant markets help?

Ever since the adoption of the 2015 Sustainable Development Agenda, the global development community has worked towards achieving the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, set forth by the United Nations. However, progress has been cut short, or even worse, reversed, due to multiple external shocks, like the COVID-19 pandemic and the Ukraine-Russia crisis. This has further alarmed the world on issues like extreme poverty, food insecurity, and an ever-widening gap between the rich and the poor. Despite multiple

Read more
April 7, 2022

Africa prepares to mainstream Voluntary Sustainability Standards: Launch of the African Continental platform on Voluntary Sustainability Standards

On 6th April 2022, the African Organisation for standardization (ARSO), in collaboration with UNFSS, launched the African Continental platform on Voluntary Sustainability Standards. The platform will promote the development and implementation of sustainability standards, assist Small and Mid-size Enterprises (SMEs) in their implementation, and encourage the establishment of national platforms in ARSO member countries. The launch was conducted virtually and discussed the importance of an established multi-stakeholder platform for collectively assessing VSS’s impact on Africa’s sustained trade growth and sustainable development.

Read more
December 7, 2021

Standards and Poverty Reduction: What role do Voluntary Sustainability Standards play? 

03rd December 2021, Geneva – The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) launched the report- IISD’s SSI Review: Standards and Poverty Reduction. The report was launched in a joint UNCTAD-IISD webinar, held as a part of IISD Trade + Sustainability Hub, 2021. The report examines the potential of voluntary sustainability standards (VSS) operating in the agriculture sector to reduce poverty, which includes a chapter that UNCTAD and IISD wrote jointly on Understanding Smallholder Farmer Access to VSS-compliant Markets.  It is estimated that 80% of the

Read more
February 28, 2018

The Political Economy of Sustainable Palm Oil in China and India

New research looks into emerging markets and private governance, in particular at the case of sustainable palm oil in China and India. Carried out by Dr. Philip Schleifer from University of Amsterdam and Dr. Yixian Sun from the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies (IHEID), the study suggested that “private governance programs are now an important source of regulation in global value chains – particularly in the context of North-South trade”. The study posed the

Read more