Producer Inclusion in Voluntary Sustainability Standard Governance

The report evaluates the inclusion of producers—including farmers and workers—within the governance of six agricultural voluntary sustainability standard-setting organizations (VSSSOs) based on principles of representation, participation, transparency, and subsidiarity. While noting promising progress, it argues that more must be done to allow producers to influence decisions affecting their lives. The document recommends specific structural changes, such as granting producers voting and veto power in high-level governance bodies, integrating producer-led networks, and increasing transparency regarding executive and grievance decisions.

• The analysis of six agricultural VSSSOs indicates that while there is promising progress in producer inclusion, there is still a significant need to increase the opportunities for producers to influence decisions that impact them.
• To improve democratic processes and producer inclusion, the report recommends several specific actions for VSSSOs, including granting producers votes and veto power in top governance bodies, integrating producer-led networks, providing preparatory training, and ensuring producer involvement in consultation and grievance committees.
• The report suggests enhancing transparency and data agency for producers by publishing executive and grievance decisions, allowing producers to vote on what data is collected, and establishing two-way communication systems.

APA

Elder,, S. (2023). Producer Inclusion in Voluntary Sustainability Standard Governance. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/ssi-review-producer-inclusion-voluntary-sustainability-standard-governance

Chicago

Elder,, Sara. Producer Inclusion in Voluntary Sustainability Standard Governance. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2023. https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/ssi-review-producer-inclusion-voluntary-sustainability-standard-governance.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Elder, |first1=Sara |title=Producer Inclusion in Voluntary Sustainability Standard Governance |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=30 November 2023 |url=https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/ssi-review-producer-inclusion-voluntary-sustainability-standard-governance |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{elder2023producer, author = {Elder,, Sara}, title = {{Producer Inclusion in Voluntary Sustainability Standard Governance}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2023}, month = nov, url = {https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/ssi-review-producer-inclusion-voluntary-sustainability-standard-governance}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }