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Label Soup

In my local Toronto supermarket the other day I was astounded at the vast array of claims and labels on a variety of products declaring sustainability. There were "naturally raised" chickens, "wildlife friendly" cosmetics and "low carbon" beverages. But what do these claims mean for shoppers trying to use their purchasing power for a good purpose?  What systems or standards lie behind the claim or label, and how have such standards monitored production and manufacturing until the items make it to my grocery store shelf?

As an environmental activist turned NGO fundraiser and communicator working in sustainability standards for more than a decade, I should know my eco-labels inside and out.  But today the "green" sector finds itself at an interesting point in time with regards to the wide variety of tools, standards and systems aimed at showing the sustainability of products and services.  

A critical question for any company looking to inject sustainability into its supply chain is whether the sustainability standard in question is a credible one. But how do we distinguish credibility? And what are the characteristics of top-notch standards?

For those of us working on these issues, credibility means the adherence to specific and important concepts and actions. It means that the standard is set through engagement with a balanced and representative group of involved stakeholders.  It means that the standard and its requirements are based on sound science and address pertinent social and/or environmental issues. It means that the standard is locally applicable and globally consistent, such that it would deliver the same certification result whether it was applied on a farm in Madagascar or Michigan. It also means that its claims about the benefits of a product are accurate, and that the standard-setter measures its system's effectiveness in contributing to sustainability and makes improvements to the system over time.  
Today, credibility in standards systems is also defined by membership in the organisation that defines good practice for existing and emerging standards.  In 2002 the leading voluntary standards organisations came together to learn from each other. These groups included high quality standard-setters such as Organic, Fairtrade, Forest Stewardship Council, Marine Stewardship Council, Rainforest Alliance, and Social Accountability International. Today, their global hub - called the ISEAL Alliance - has grown to include 19 members. The alliance now encompasses new and emerging standards for mining, aquaculture, water, biofuels, textiles and other sectors.  ISEAL membership requires that these groups demonstrate their ability to meet principles of credibility through their compliance with ISEAL's Codes of Good Practice (http://www.isealalliance.org/code).

Products and services should be created in a fair and sustainable way, and sustainability standards have emerged as one of the most viable approaches in international trade that can allow a company to manage their supply chain's impacts on ecosystems and livelihoods. By choosing raw materials, products or services certified or verified as sustainable by credible standards, businesses can better achieve their own sustainability objectives.

Lara Koritzke graduated from Yale and moved to New York City to pursue a theatre career.  She went on to raise more than 60 million USD over a ten-year span for the Rainforest Alliance's programmes and travelled throughout the Americas visiting farms and forests under threat.  Today she is the Director of Communications and Development for the ISEAL Alliance, the global hub for leading sustainability standards.

All views expressed within this article are those of the writer and not of the BBC.