Standards and Value Chains
There are now more than 400 VSSs operating across the planet. These include organic items, fair trade, and the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) to name a few. These standards are guidelines for producing, selling, and purchasing products in a sustainable manner. They provide manufacturers and retailers with information about the reliability of and safety conditions behind a product. They also provide consumers with information about the sustainability efforts taken for their production and manufacturing, with the aim of positively affecting communities, the environment, and the economy.
Many of these sustainability initiatives are created by small groups of collaborating partners, influencing their impartiality. This also affects the ability of other stakeholders to provide input into the founding characteristics of the initiatives and how they operate. Because standards and voluntary sustainability initiatives also set rules for production and trade, these standards should ensure an inclusive governance from their design to their implementation. This promotion of good governance in standards initiatives is a key priority for IISD.
Given this growth and the relative contribution of VSSs as tools for sustainable development, IISD presents production and consumption market information in an accessible manner to foster transparency, knowledge, and strategic decision making in the State of Sustainability Initiatives (SSI) reporting series. The SSI is an international transparency and capacity-building project that aims to improve strategic planning and sustainable development outcomes related to VSSs by providing in-depth, credible, and needs-based information. It equips supply-chain decision-makers and governments with the inclusive and transparent information they need to make informed decisions and contribute to sustainable development.
What do we do?
- We analyze the founding characteristics and requirements of VSSs versus sustainable development issues, such as biodiversity conservation, poverty reduction, and gender equity, to understand their strengths and limitations, and highlight opportunities for improvement.
- We track and analyze the market performance of sustainable production and consumption of commodity markets and VSSs globally to understand trends and impacts.
How do we do this?
- We collect primary data from VSSs and standards setters on their systems characteristics and market performance using quantitative and qualitative methods.
- We conduct research and collect secondary data related to sustainable markets, VSSs, and development issues through extensive literature review and establishing strategic partnerships with leading data providers to fill knowledge gaps.
- We analyze data and provide recommendations for standard setters, the private sector, and governments to enhance the effectiveness of VSSs as tools for sustainable development.
Publications
South-South Trade and Voluntary Sustainability Standards
This report explores how voluntary sustainability standards are being used in trade policy to increase the trade of more sustainable products between developing countries.
Global Market Report: Sugar cane prices and sustainability
This report explores recent market trends in the sugar cane sector, what these trends mean for producers in developing countries, and what can be done to improve farmers' incomes.
Global Market Report: Palm oil prices and sustainability
This report unpacks market trends in the palm oil sector and examines the role of sustainability standards in ensuring farmers receive fair incomes and adopt sustainable practices.
State of Sustainability Initiatives Review: Standards and the Sustainable Development Goals
This report explores the role that voluntary sustainability standards (VSSs) can play in helping governments advance the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and better track and report on their progress toward achieving them.
Webinars
Sustainability Standards and Commodity Prices: How to better support farmers' livelihoods
This webinar explored how standards can better support farmers to get higher prices and incomes and use more sustainable practices amid disruptions in international commodity prices.
South-South Trade and Voluntary Sustainability Standards: Challenges and opportunities
Webinar exploring new research on how sustainability standards can promote trade relationships that protect the environment and improve farmers’ livelihoods in developing countries.
Standards and the Sustainable Development Goals: Leveraging sustainability standards for reporting on SDG progress
This event launched a new report examining how governments can work with sustainability standards to advance the SDGs and better track and report on their progress toward achieving them.
Voluntary Sustainability Standards in South Asia: A focus on the cotton sector in Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka
This public webinar discussed research findings from IISD's State of Sustainability Initiatives.
Experts

Nathalie Bernasconi-Osterwalder
Interim Co-President and Co-CEO | Vice-President, Global Strategies and Managing Director, Europe

Cristina Larrea
Lead II, Sustainability Standards

Steffany Bermúdez
Policy Advisor I

Sara Elder
Senior Policy Advisor, Standards Workstream

Erika Luna
Junior Policy Analyst

Sally Millett
Communications Officer

Florencia Sarmiento
Policy Analyst

Vivek Voora
Senior Associate
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