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July 24, 2019

Integrating small-scale producers into sustainable value chains is a collective effort

  Linking small-scale producers in developing countries to larger lucrative markets via integrating them into global value chains are widely recognized as valuable ways to boost the economy hence, poverty reduction. Small-scale producers are by far the majority of farmers in the world, in some estimates producing 70% of the world’s food[1]. Thus, promoting exports of products in compliance with sustainability measures accounting the inclusivity of small-scale producers, became a major policy goal in many emerging economies due to

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July 10, 2019

Registration is now open | 2nd ICSTS, Rio de Janeiro, 16-18 September 2019

Convention Registration Now Open!  The Brazilian Institute of Metrology, Quality and Technology (Inmetro), the Federation of Industries of the State of Rio de Janeiro (Firjan) and the United Nations Forum on Sustainability Standards (UNFSS) will be hosting the 2nd International Convention on Sustainable Trade and Standards Date: 16-18th of September 2019, Venue: Casa Firjan, Rua Guilhermina Guinle, 211 City: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil   The 2nd ICSTS aims to advance multi-stakeholder dialogues on Voluntary Sustainability Standards (VSS) as an avenue to improve the transparency of

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April 11, 2019

Assessing the Perception and Willingness towards VSS

The considerable diversity of priorities associated with the uptake of Voluntary Sustainability Standards (VSS) have captured significant interests for researchers to analyze the drivers that stimulated stakeholders to be certified (or not). Given the unclear distribution of benefits resulting from these sustainability certifications, smallholder farmers are striking economic actors in the value chains that have expressed unprecedented concerns. This is not to say that they do not see the value of adapting sustainability measures into their operations, but rather concerns

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March 5, 2019

Enriching Good VSS Benchmarking Practices through Global Consultations

Time to opt for Good Practices in Benchmarking Sustainability The essence of defining good practices underlines the replication of applying accumulated knowledge and experiences to new situations. Identifying such models can be adapted to improve any discovery of unanticipated challenges. As we start to recognise the growing prevalence of sustainability issues addressed by participants along the global supply chains, governments and civil society are seeking mechanisms to evaluate sustainability performance through the advent of good practices. Supported by the Deutsche Gesellschaft

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February 21, 2019

Resurfacing Biodiversity, from a Sustainability Standards Perspective

Nearly half of the world’s population is directly dependent on biodiversity for their livelihoods. Today over 3.2 billion people depend on biodiversity for their livelihoods, but the globe’s biodiversity resources are being depleted at an alarming rate. In Europe alone, the cost of biodiversity loss is estimated about 3% of its GDP, or €450m (£400m), a year [1]. “If we are going to address the issue of biodiversity, we also have to look at the fundamental issues

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