Analysis and Insights

October 2020

Upscaling VSS: a double-edged sword?

The previous blog discussed ways for governments to upscale the adoption of VSS through public procurement and trade policy. In this blog, we…

Dr. Axel Marx, Leuven Centre for Global Governance Studies and Mr. Santiago Fernandez de Cordoba, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development

September 2020

Addressing agrochemical and antibiotic use: impacts of market-based sustainability tools

Agrochemicals (fertilizers and pesticides) and antibiotics play a critical role in the agriculture,…

Deanna Newsom and Talia Sechley, Evidensia

September 2020

Lessons from the field: how farmer motivation and property characteristics impact commodity-linked deforestation

In the past decades, many companies have made commitments…

Robyn Paulekas, Senior Mediator and Program Manager at the Meridian Institute

September 2020

Upscaling the use of VSS through Sustainable Public Procurement and Trade Policy

Our previous blog raised the question of how to upscale the use and adoption of voluntary sustainability…

Dr. Axel Marx, Leuven Centre for Global Governance Studies and Mr. Santiago Fernandez de Cordoba, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development

September 2020

The trade impact of voluntary sustainability standards: theoretical vs empirical evidence

Global value chains (GVCs) have become a dominant aspect of international trade, comprising…

Niematallah E.A. Elamin and Santiago Fernandez de Cordoba, Trade Analysis Branch, Division on International Trade and Commodities, UNCTAD

September 2020

New UN report puts forth robust agenda to increase the uptake of sustainability standards in the wake of COVID-19

In September 2015, the United Nations Member States adopted the 2030 Agenda…

Dr. Axel Marx, Leuven Centre for Global Governance Studies and Mr. Santiago Fernandez de Cordoba, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development

August 2020

Scaling up sustainable solutions

Scaling up existing, small solutions which already create new economic opportunities and governance structures is an essential path…

Eric Lambin, Jim Leape, Hajim Kim and Kai Lee, Woods Institute for the Environment and Centre for Ocean Solutions at Stanford University.

July 2020

Time to put good evidence to good use

The recently released UN 2020 Sustainable Development Goals Report makes clear that there is a long way to go before the global goals are…

Vidya Rangan, Evidensia

May 2020

Making sense of the evidence base on organic agriculture

Organic agriculture holds a significant place in the history of sustainable development and the rise of voluntary sustainability standards. Production…

Vidya Rangan, Senior Manager, Impacts and Evidence, ISEAL

May 2020

Evaluation gaps, challenges and implications: Responsible business initiatives for sustainable supply chains?

Evidence on voluntary sustainability standards effectiveness and impact is strengthening, but…

Valerie Nelson, Michael Flint and Adrienne Martin

April 2020

Seeking consent: how the FPIC clause is treated by sustainability approaches across sectors

The first time the term ‘Free, Prior and Informed Consent’ appeared in the literature was as …

Rita Mendez, ISEAL Alliance

February 2020

What do we know about which smallholder farmers we reach?

The debate on the role and impacts of supply chain approaches in supporting smallholder livelihoods has advanced significantly in the…

Vidya Rangan, Impacts and Evidence Senior Manager at ISEAL Alliance