Quality assurance systems
Quality is a key consideration for perishable fruits such as passion fruit in Rwanda. Photo: Steven Franzel
Overview
Globalization, consumer demand, and public and environmental health concerns increasingly drive vertical integration and standards as supply chain governance tools. Such public and private standards are rules which producers and other actors along the value chain need to comply with in order to gain access to markets.
On one hand, such quality assurance schemes are aimed at contributing to human and environmental friendly production and resource management systems, and thus can be seen as a tool for modernizing such systems. On the other hand, if compliance requirements are complex, such standards can become barriers to trade with negative implications for smallholder access to markets.
In some instances, sustainability standards, also called ‘ecocertification' offer the means for consumers to pay for sustainable production and biodiversity conservation, and in some cases producers receive price premiums for these services.
Research questions
Our research focuses on the overall question: How and under what circumstances can quality assurance systems help the poor and contribute to environmental services? Specifically we are looking at:
- What are the lessons from established quality assurance systems for sustainability standards and payments for environmental services projects?
- How can quality assurance systems best be implemented and how can the poor gain better access to certified markets?
Through these questions, we are assessing efficiency and equity impacts of such standards.
Key partners
- The Sustainable Commodity Initiative (SCI), in particular partners under COSA (Committee on Sustainability Assessment) and SCAN (Sustainable Commodity Assistance Network)
- Connecting, enhancing and sustaining environmental services and market values of coffee agroforestry (CAFNET) project.
- Anonymous industrial partner in Indonesia
Funding
- La Recherche Agronomique Pour Le Developpement (CIRAD), France
- W-Bridge (Waseda-Bridgestone Initiative (Bridging Human Activities and Development of the Global Environment, Research and Action Support))
Locations
Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Indonesia
Publications
1. Meta-analysis of assessments of organic agriculture's contribution to increased yields, food security and incomes. Also presents a decision support tool for assessing the potential contribution of organic agriculture to improved livelihoods.
2. Investigating the potential for eco-certification to improve livelihoods and conserve biodiversity in tropical countries, using the example of a traditional rubber agroforestry practice in Indonesia.
Contacts
Dagmar Mithöefer
Marketing Specialist
Email: d.mithoefer@cgiar.org
