Do standards and certification in the agricultural sector matter for sustainability? A review of the state of research

Summary

This report analyses the state of knowledge on voluntary sustainability standards in the agro-food sector with regard to:
- Their real-life environmental, social and economic impacts related to the global problems in agriculture;
- The durability of impacts, and relative effectiveness of the standard approach;
- The demand and supply situation;
- Communication of standards to the public;
- Drivers, enabling and constraining factors including costs associated with certification.
The report gives conclusions taking into consideration knowledge that is well secured versus aspects that are debated between researchers, remaining knowledge gaps, and how these could be addressed.