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Project

Private standards as a market-based sustainability institution in global food systems

Voluntary sustainability standards (VSS) cover a large number of products and are important in global markets. Yet, their actual impact on sustainability is unclear. This PhD project aims to evaluate the efficacy of VSS to contribute to increased trade revenues for low- and middle-income countries and improved incomes and socio-economic wellbeing of smallholder producers in these countries. The PhD research entails a comparative approach with a focus on various types of VSS in selected food and wood sectors (coffee, cocoa, tea, oil palm, banana, wood). The PhD project investigates macro-level trade effects of VSS in a cross-country analysis, and micro-level socio-economic development effects for Indonesia. The research will rely on secondary databases and desk-work as well as on primary survey data and field work. Various econometric methods will be used in the empirical analyses.

The PhD project is part of the project VSS4f/wood (Voluntary Sustainability Standards and Governance Mechanisms for Sustainable Global Food and Wood Sectors) involving the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences (Prof. dr. Ir. M. Maertens & Prof. dr. Ir. B. Muys) and the Centre for Global Governance Studies (Dr. A. Marx) at KU Leuven.  In collaboration with other PhD students and principal investigators in the project, this PhD research will contribute to conclusive evidence and concrete insights on the effectiveness of VSS in creating positive sustainability effects. Ultimately, the project aims at informing standard-setting, -certification and -auditing organizations; food and wood companies; civil society organizations; and consumers about the sustainability implications of VSS and at improving the design and governance of VSS for more effective sustainability contributions.

Date:12 Nov 2019 →  Today
Keywords:food standards, private standards, sustainability, global food supply chains, smallholder farmers, rural development, rural incomes, poverty
Disciplines:Sustainable agriculture, Agricultural and natural resource economics, environmental and ecological economics, International economics, Multilevel governance not elsewhere classified
Project type:PhD project