Voluntary sustainability standards and economic rents: The economic impact of voluntary sustainability standards along the coffee, fisheries and forestry value chain, background paper

Summary

This report investigates how voluntary sustainability standards (VSS) impact the geographic distribution of economic benefits along global coffee, seafood, and forestry supply chains, interrogating why different groups in these supply chains do not benefit equally. The observed and expected impacts of Fairtrade International, Rainforest Alliance, UTZ Certified, and International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM) are assessed in the coffee supply chain, Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) in the seafood supply chain, and Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), and Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) in the forestry supply chain. The researchers use a combination of trade statistics, literature review, and interviews with representatives from VSS, NGOs and the private sector.