Voluntary Sustainability Standards, Forest Conservation, and Environmental Provisions in International Trade Policy

This policy brief summarizes a March 24, 2021 webinar regarding the use of international trade policy, specifically voluntary sustainability standards (VSSs) and free trade agreement provisions, to reduce deforestation and preserve forest ecosystems.

• Public and private sectors are utilizing international trade policy, including forest conservation provisions in free trade agreements and voluntary sustainability standards (VSSs), to preserve forest ecosystems. These two methods are becoming more integrated, with some emerging approaches moving toward regulatory distinction at the border for products that comply with VSSs or mandatory sustainability requirements.
• While integrating VSSs into international trade agreements is a positive trend, the scope and capacity of these standards must be strengthened to effectively prevent deforestation. Necessary improvements include establishing more stringent criteria for deforestation reduction, providing farmers with supporting services for compliance, and improving the effectiveness of assurance systems.
• From the perspective of the World Trade Organization (WTO), a primary open question is how the design and process of setting standards can be made non-discriminatory, inclusive, and transparent.

APA

Voora,, C. L. S. (2021). Voluntary Sustainability Standards, Forest Conservation, and Environmental Provisions in International Trade Policy. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/publications/voluntary-sustainability-standards-forest-conservation-trade-policy

Chicago

Voora,, Cristina Larrea,Florencia Sarmiento,Vivek. Voluntary Sustainability Standards, Forest Conservation, and Environmental Provisions in International Trade Policy. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2021. https://www.iisd.org/publications/voluntary-sustainability-standards-forest-conservation-trade-policy.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Voora, |first1=Cristina Larrea,Florencia Sarmiento,Vivek |title=Voluntary Sustainability Standards, Forest Conservation, and Environmental Provisions in International Trade Policy |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=28 October 2021 |url=https://www.iisd.org/publications/voluntary-sustainability-standards-forest-conservation-trade-policy |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{voora2021voluntary, author = {Voora,, Cristina Larrea,Florencia Sarmiento,Vivek}, title = {{Voluntary Sustainability Standards, Forest Conservation, and Environmental Provisions in International Trade Policy}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2021}, month = oct, url = {https://www.iisd.org/publications/voluntary-sustainability-standards-forest-conservation-trade-policy}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }