Information System on Voluntary Sustainability Standards

Project completed

Overall, the program aims to enable different stakeholder groups producers, traders, public procurers, private company buyers as well as end consumers - to take informed decisions with regard to the use and effects of Voluntary Sustainabiliy Standards (VSS). The program consists of four major components to be implemented by five institutions, in close coordination with each other. 1) Database management: Consolidation of all data necessary for the different project components in one, central database named T4SD (Trade for Sustainable Development) located at the International Trade Center (ITC). This allows to create a highly credible data pool on sustainability standards, unique with regard to both quality and depth. 2) Impact measurement: Promoting harmonized and extensively tested methodologies developed by the Committee on Sustainability Assessment (COSA) to measure the impact of sustainability standards for different agricultural commodities. 3) Capacity building: Promotion of coordinated and harmonized forms of capacity building at production level through the Sustainable Commodity Assistance Network (SCAN) project and the creation of an interactive capacity building resource platform. 4) Information dissemination: Reach a broad audience with the data and information available through the respective platforms of the State of Sustainability Initiatives (SSI) and the Kompass Nachhaltigkeit to promote informed decision making.

Country/region Topic Period Budget
Global
Sustainable trade
20.08.2012 -
CHF 8'633'500
Background

Private Voluntary Standards (PVS) can make a significant contribution to sustainable trade, production and consumption. Accordingly, Switzerland has worked out an official strategy for the recognition and promotion of labels in the year 2000 already. Also, labels are considered a key means to achieve Switzerland?s objectives under its green economy policy.

In order to scale up the positive impacts of PVS, decision-makers in production, trade, and consumption need information on the different standards, their positions in the market, and their impacts in the field.

However, the information currently available does not provide sufficient support to decision-makers to effectively use the existing PVS and to implement sustainable management processes. Moreover, more efficient and coordinated ways to provide capacity building need to be explored. Overall, the proposed program therefore aims to enable different stakeholder groups - producers, traders, public procurers, private company buyers as well as end consumers - to take informed decisions with regard to the use and effects of PVS.

Directorate/federal office responsible SECO
Credit area Development cooperation
Budget Current phase Swiss budget CHF   8'633'500 Swiss disbursement to date CHF   0 Budget inclusive project partner CHF   8'700'000
Project phases Phase 1 20.08.2012 - 31.12.2017   (Completed)