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What should you consider, when getting engaged with standards?

Guide for Decision Making on Food related Voluntary Sustainability Standards

During the TSPN Planning Workshop held in March 2009 the Steering Committee decided to create three working groups to develop specific activities, focusing on the following topics:

• Improved informed decision making of developing country stakeholders on voluntary standards;
• Improved technical assistance;
• Improved understanding of the impact of standards in a development context.

Working Group 1 consists of different TSPN members and reflects the diverse membership base. Representatives of the FAO, UNCTAD , ISEAL and the GTZ met in August 2009 to discuss the activities for the upcoming year. All participants quickly outlined the need to provide a basis for informed decision making on the macro and meso level. A “Guide for Decision Making” may contribute to overcoming the current lack of information. The main aim of the Guide is to empower key decision makers at government and private sector level to formulate strategies for standard development and build capacity for standard implementation. Developing country decision makers should thus be empowered to implement standards largely independently from donors by having sound pro-active strategies and building relevant institutions and support units at national level either within governmental structures or outside. The Guide will point out how countries can approach standards with the guiding question “What should you consider when getting engaged with standards?”

The Guide will lead key decision makers to understand the catalytic developmental function of sustainability standards and their role in successful export strategies. The Guide will also review potential challenges for effective standard implementation referring to standards and their governance; to supplying capacities and supportive institutional and technical infrastructure; to policy coherence issues; and to business strategies. It is planned to customize the Guide for the various stakeholder groups at the macro and meso level. The Guide is planned to be released by mid 2010.