Producer Inclusion in Voluntary Sustainability Standard Governance

This report examines the inclusion of producers—including farmers, farm workers, and factory workers—within the governance systems of six voluntary sustainability standard-setting organizations (VSSSOs) in the agricultural sector, focusing on representation, participation, transparency, and subsidiarity.

• The report evaluates the governance of six agricultural VSSSOs based on four principles of inclusion: representation, participation, transparency, and subsidiarity. While it notes that progress is promising, it concludes that more effort is required to allow producers to influence decisions that affect them.
• To improve democratic processes and producer inclusion, the report recommends several specific actions for VSSSOs: granting producers votes and veto power in top governance bodies, integrating producer-led networks, providing preparatory training for meetings, ensuring engagement in consultations, and granting seats and votes on grievance committees.
• Further recommendations for VSSSOs to enhance producer inclusion include increasing transparency by publishing executive and grievance decisions, allowing producers to vote on and access data, and establishing open, 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} }