Global Governance for Environmentally Sustainable Food Systems: Certified Organics in a North – South and South-South Perspective

Summary in the original language of the document

Challenged to consume with less environmental impact, consumers buy certified organic products to “proxy”
environmental governance. The paper explores how far certified organic agriculture is institutionally embedded in
Brazil, China, and Egypt. The three case studies illustrate how regulation, including standard-setting and certification
processes differ between south and north, in terms of the evolution and nature of certification, as well as stakeholders and agency involved in shaping the regulation. A comparative analysis is presented on south-south differences in this regard along with some possible explanations of these. The paper finally discusses the perspectives in the global success of organic certification and whether it has potential to transform global agriculture towards higher overall levels of sustainability.