
Leveraging Sustainable Markets for Poverty Reduction and Sustainable Development
The production of sustainable agriculture commodities continues to grow, reaching as high as 20 per cent of palm oil and 30 per cent of cocoa’s global production.
Consumer preferences and purchase decisions are largely driving this trend, motivated by advancing sustainability and reducing poverty in the countries of production. To respond to these consumer demands, hundreds of voluntary sustainability standards (VSSs) and other multistakeholder alliances have emerged over the last three decades as market tools to enhance sustainable development. Over the past decade, consumer preferences have influenced the evolution of VSSs, from serving niche markets to entering the mainstream, where multinational companies have defined sourcing commitments for sustainable agriculture commodities.
To meet this challenge, IISD launched the Leveraging Sustainable Markets for Poverty Reduction and Sustainable Development project. It aims to facilitate poverty reduction among marginalized commodity producers by enabling more strategic and proactive entry into value-added sustainable markets for less-developed countries.
Participating experts
Additional downloads
You might also be interested in
From Bananas to Palm Oil: Tracking the rise and performance of voluntary sustainability standards
Our researchers have drawn a few key conclusions after studying the sustainability potential for eight popular commodities — bananas, cocoa, coffee, cotton, palm oil, soybeans, sugar, and tea.
Global Market Report: Soybeans
This report examines how voluntary sustainability standards can play a valuable role in addressing some of the social and environmental problems involved in soybean production.
Sustainable Cotton or Recycled Polyester? The conscious shopper’s dilemma
Sustainability performance varies between products and transparency gaps abound in the garment industry. This can make informed decisions challenging.
Global Market Report: Cotton
This report examines how voluntary sustainability standards are performing in the cotton sector.