Brazilian National Platform on Voluntary Sustainability Standards

About the Platform

The Brazilian National Platform was launched in 2017 under the Brazilian National Institute of Metrology, Quality and Technology (INMETRO). Brazil aims for the platform to be the central figure for discussions surrounding VSS and raise awareness of the stakeholder affected by VSS. They also aim to develop proactive national polices to maximize on the opportunities for VSS while understanding its risks. The platform also examines what are the impacts of VSS on the Brazilian economy and how they can affect the domestic market and access to foreign markets. They also aim to compare and analyze best practices of other national platforms and incorporate them into their own platform

Structure of the Platform

Steering committee
Working Groups

Activities of the Brazilian VSS Platform

Conduct studies and analyze data for the Brazilian government to have more accurate, impartial and in-depth information on VSS and what their implications, benefits, and costs are for Brazilian production and exports.
Identify which sectors and product groups are most affected by VSS.
Analyze VSS that are being developed by stakeholders in Brazil and what its impacts are.
Formulate recommendations for the Brazilian government on policies and measures on how to handle the issues surrounding VSS.
Conduct studies on pro-active polices and best practices for the Brazilian government to better facilitate the use of VSS in a way that would maximize the benefits and minimize costs.
Cooperate with other UNFSS partners so that SME and small holders would be able to mitigate the adverse effects of VSS.