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Project

Voluntary Sustainability Standards as a Governance Mechanism for Sustainable Global Food and Wood Systems

Voluntary sustainability standards (VSS) cover a large number of products and are important in global markets. Yet, their actual impact on sustainability is unclear. This project evaluates the contribution of VSS to sustainability in food and wood systems, and provides conclusive evidence and concrete insights on the effectiveness of VSS in creating positive sustainability effects. The project entails a comparative approach with a focus on various types of VSS in selected food and wood sectors. The project investigates macro-level trade and land use effects of VSS in cross-country analyses; and micro-level development, land use and biodiversity effects for Indonesia. The project analyses how the institutional design and governance of VSS shapes effects; and quantifies sustainability tradeoffs. The project relies on innovative databases and original interdisciplinary methods. The project identifies opportunities and challenges for optimizing VSS to more effectively contribute to sustainability, and communicates findings with various corporate and civil society stakeholders.
Date:1 Oct 2019 →  30 Sep 2023
Keywords:private standards, sustainability impact, food systems, wood systems, global governance, international trade
Disciplines:Economic geography