South-South Trade and Voluntary Sustainability Standards

The report examines the role of voluntary sustainability standards (VSSs) in South-South trade, noting that trade between developing countries grew from USD 600 billion in 1995 to USD 5.3 trillion in 2021. It highlights five examples of VSS integration in the Global South, including organic certification agreements between Chile and Brazil and regional standards in East Africa and the Pacific. The report concludes that integrating VSSs into trade policy can lower compliance costs, reduce trade barriers for smallholders and SMEs, and increase demand for sustainable products.

• South-South trade has experienced significant growth over the last few decades, increasing from USD 600 billion in 1995 to USD 5.3 trillion in 2021.
• Integrating voluntary sustainability standards (VSSs) into South-South trade policies can benefit smallholders and small and medium-sized enterprises by reducing trade barriers, lowering compliance costs, increasing demand for compliant products, and promoting the harmonization of different standards.
• Developing country governments and regional blocs are utilizing VSSs through various mechanisms, such as a Memorandum of Understanding for organic products between Chile and Brazil, a recognition system across Africa, national legislation in Southern Africa, and regional organic standards in East Africa and the Pacific.

APA

Sarmiento,, S. B. (2023). South-South Trade and Voluntary Sustainability Standards. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/voluntary-sustainability-standards-south-south-trade

Chicago

Sarmiento,, Steffany Bermúdez,Florencia. South-South Trade and Voluntary Sustainability Standards. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2023. https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/voluntary-sustainability-standards-south-south-trade.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Sarmiento, |first1=Steffany Bermúdez,Florencia |title=South-South Trade and Voluntary Sustainability Standards |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=13 September 2023 |url=https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/voluntary-sustainability-standards-south-south-trade |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{sarmiento2023southsouth, author = {Sarmiento,, Steffany Bermúdez,Florencia}, title = {{South-South Trade and Voluntary Sustainability Standards}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2023}, month = sep, url = {https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/voluntary-sustainability-standards-south-south-trade}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }