Voluntary Sustainability Standards for Export Promotion

This report analyzes the integration of voluntary sustainability standards (VSSs) into national systems in Vietnam, Namibia, Suriname, and Mozambique to boost sustainable exports. It emphasizes the need for strong regulatory foundations, continuous support for smallholders to prevent loss of certification, and the use of VSSs to diversify markets and reduce dependence on a few large buyers.

• Successful integration of voluntary sustainability standards (VSSs) into export promotion requires strong legal and regulatory foundations, clear intervention strategies, and inclusive stakeholder engagement to ensure ownership and active participation from all actors.
• Investment in market information, extension services, and training is necessary to lower implementation barriers for producers and exporters; without this ongoing support, smallholders are at risk of losing their certification and access to premium markets.
• VSSs can be used to promote domestic consumption, intra-regional trade, and market diversification, which helps reduce a dangerous overdependence on a small number of large buyers by prioritizing value addition and new market access.

APA

Sarmiento,, S. B. (2026). Voluntary Sustainability Standards for Export Promotion. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/voluntary-sustainability-standards-export-promotion

Chicago

Sarmiento,, Steffany Bermúdez,Florencia. Voluntary Sustainability Standards for Export Promotion. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2026. https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/voluntary-sustainability-standards-export-promotion.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Sarmiento, |first1=Steffany Bermúdez,Florencia |title=Voluntary Sustainability Standards for Export Promotion |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=30 April 2026 |url=https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/voluntary-sustainability-standards-export-promotion |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{sarmiento2026voluntary, author = {Sarmiento,, Steffany Bermúdez,Florencia}, title = {{Voluntary Sustainability Standards for Export Promotion}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2026}, month = apr, url = {https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/voluntary-sustainability-standards-export-promotion}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }