The International Trade Centre (ITC) published a report in collaboration with the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL) and the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), demonstrating an increasing adoption of voluntary sustainability standards (VSS) by producers of nine major agricultural commodities in developing countries.
The report aims to inform small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) of the potential for added value through voluntary and sustainable production practices.
2 February 2016: The International Trade Centre (ITC) published a report in collaboration with the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL) and the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), demonstrating the increasing adoption of voluntary sustainability standards (VSS) by producers of nine major agricultural commodities in developing countries. The report aims to inform small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) of the potential for added value through voluntary and sustainable production practices.
The report, titled ‘The State of Sustainable Markets: Statistics and Emerging Trends 2015,’ combines the work of IISD’s 2014 State of Sustainability Initiatives (SSI) Review, FiBL’s experience analyzing organic market data, and ITC’s database, to develop indicators and collect data on VSS market trends. The partnership was supported by the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO).
According to the report, consumer awareness of sustainably sourced products is high, with a 66% majority of global consumers saying they would pay more for sustainable goods. This shift in buying patterns creates an economic incentive for providers to pursue more sustainable practices through VSS. According to the data collected for the report, all of the standards have experienced significant growth since 2008, with some expanding almost thirty times their initial value. The nine commodities experiencing significant increases in VSS are: bananas, cocoa, coffee, cotton, palm oil, soybeans, cane sugar, tea and forestry products.
The authors suggest that the voluntary uptake of sustainable standards helps to ensure that consumption, production and trade support development, in particular Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2 (hunger and food security), 8 (decent work and economic growth) and 12 (sustainable consumption and production).
IISD notes that the FiBL–IISD–ITC partnership will aim to replicate this reporting effort annually. [Publication: The State of Sustainable Markets: Statistics and Emerging Trends 2015] [IISD Publication Page] [FiBl Press Release] [ITC Publication Page] [IISD State of Sustainability Initiatives Review 2014]