Conclusion

Voluntary Sustainability Standards (VSS) are bringing a new level of accountability and transparency to mainstream supply chains. With the annual growth of standard compliant production consistently outperforming global production growth levels, we can expect VSS-compliant production to continue to grow across diverse commodity sectors. As the market share of VSS grows, so too will their importance in determining the overall sustainability outcomes associated with commodity production. But the degree to which they are improving farm performance remains largely unknown. The absence of consistent data on field level impacts for many standards is one obvious bottleneck to making such determinations. The absence of more robust market data is another.

Sustainable Development Goals:

Decent Work and Economic Growth

Sustainable Cities and Communities

Responsible Consumption and Production