Social and Environmental Standards: Contributing to More Sustainable Value Chains

The design of governance structure of social and environmental sustainability standards determines how accessible they are to producers in developing countries.

The increase in consumer demand for sustainable trade has given rise to a growing array of social and environmental standards. This joint ITC-EUI report shows that such standards can be made more accessible to producers through cost-sharing, technical assistance and transparency. It also shows that country-level characteristics affect the presence and adoption of standards. The report concludes with recommendations on how standard-setting organizations and value chain players can foster inclusiveness and sustainable development, and provides guidance for policymakers on supporting the integration of their SMEs and small farmers into sustainable value chains.