SUSTAINABILITY STANDARDS AND REQUIREMENTS FOR AGRICULTURE

The document examines the interplay between regulatory requirements and voluntary sustainability standards in the agricultural sector. It highlights how these instruments can drive sustainable production but may also create trade barriers for smallholder farmers and MSMEs in developing countries. The brief advocates for a 'smart mix' of mandatory and voluntary approaches, supported by technological advances in traceability and the potential development of a global 'Codex Planetarius' for minimum environmental standards.

• Sustainability requirements in agriculture are divided into mandatory regulatory requirements, which are government-led and can block market access if not met, and voluntary standards, which are often industry or NGO-led and can become de facto mandatory due to consumer demand or supply chain requirements.
• Voluntary sustainability standards have shown positive outcomes in reducing deforestation and pesticide use and increasing farm income, but their effectiveness is limited by local economic and political contexts and they rarely improve wages for farm workers.
• Sustainability requirements can act as trade barriers for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and smallholder farmers in developing countries due to high compliance costs and the complexity of navigating numerous differing standards.
• The European Union and United Kingdom are implementing regulations to restrict imports linked to illegal forestry and deforestation, specifically targeting commodities such as coffee, cocoa, soya, and palm oil through mandatory due diligence.
• The EU is exploring 'mirror clauses' to ensure that imported agricultural products meet the same environmental, animal welfare, and health standards as those produced domestically to prevent the undermining of EU sustainability efforts.
• A proposed global system of minimum environmental standards for food, termed 'Codex Planetarius', aims to harmonize standards for globally traded foods to address biodiversity loss, GHG emissions, and soil health.
• Technological advances such as blockchain, AI, and the Internet of Things (IoT) are being used to improve supply chain traceability, which can reduce data errors and potentially increase revenue through sustainability premiums.
• The document proposes a 'smart mix' approach where mandatory regulations ensure a level playing field while voluntary standards provide flexible, tailored implementation tools and data to operationalize the law.

APA

Kettunen, M., Amarsy, S., Limaye, A., & Wozniac, J. (2023). SUSTAINABILITY STANDARDS AND REQUIREMENTS FOR AGRICULTURE. Forum on Trade, Environment, & the SDGs. https://lyrical-cormorant.files.svdcdn.com/production/assets/images/Publications/Policy-brief_UNEP-ITC-TESS_Sustainable-Agriculture-Standards.pdf?dm=1695371738

Chicago

Kettunen, Marianne, Shemina Amarsy, Akshata Limaye, and Joseph Wozniac. SUSTAINABILITY STANDARDS AND REQUIREMENTS FOR AGRICULTURE. Forum on Trade, Environment, & the SDGs, 2023. https://lyrical-cormorant.files.svdcdn.com/production/assets/images/Publications/Policy-brief_UNEP-ITC-TESS_Sustainable-Agriculture-Standards.pdf?dm=1695371738.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Kettunen |first1=Marianne |last2=Amarsy |first2=Shemina |last3=Limaye |first3=Akshata |last4=Wozniac |first4=Joseph |title=SUSTAINABILITY STANDARDS AND REQUIREMENTS FOR AGRICULTURE |publisher=Forum on Trade, Environment, & the SDGs |date=2023 |url=https://lyrical-cormorant.files.svdcdn.com/production/assets/images/Publications/Policy-brief_UNEP-ITC-TESS_Sustainable-Agriculture-Standards.pdf?dm=1695371738 |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{kettunen2023sustainability, author = {Kettunen, Marianne and Amarsy, Shemina and Limaye, Akshata and Wozniac, Joseph}, title = {{SUSTAINABILITY STANDARDS AND REQUIREMENTS FOR AGRICULTURE}}, institution = {Forum on Trade, Environment, \& the SDGs}, year = {2023}, url = {https://lyrical-cormorant.files.svdcdn.com/production/assets/images/Publications/Policy-brief_UNEP-ITC-TESS_Sustainable-Agriculture-Standards.pdf?dm=1695371738}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }