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Private Standards, their Institutional Arrangements and their Theoretical

Links to Livelihoods Improvement and Food Security

Poster · September 2015

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Enrique Uribe Leitz

Wageningen University & Research
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 Tropentag, September 16-18, 2015, Berlin, Germany
“Management of land use systems for enhanced food security:
conflicts, controversies and resolutions”

Private Standards, their Institutional Arrangements and their

Theoretical Links to Livelihoods Improvement and Food Security
Enrique Uribe Leitz

Wageningen University, Development Economics, The Netherlands

Abstract

This paper analyses the differences of the tripartite systems of the most active private
standards (UTZ Certified, Rainforest Alliance and Fairtrade) involved in the cocoa value
chain. During the last decade, private standards have gained momentum within the cocoa
value. This is reflected in the level of engagement from industry and retail actors as well
as on the continuous increase of certified producers (volume of product) at the producing
countries. These private standards are very similar in their overarching aim, namely, to
improve the income, the yields, the environment or social conditions of the farmers they
certify. Herewith they aim to improve the livelihood and food security of those farmers.
Although, these standards make an effort to differentiate themselves from each other at the
market place i.e. emphasis on environmental issues or working conditions and social aspects.
All standards are based on the same concept of a tripartite system. However, the differences
among the systems in place result in considerable implications on the quality infrastructure
which can be reflected during implementation such as costs or efficiency. We analyse all
the documentation publicly available related to the quality infrastructure in place of the
above mentioned standards and analyse it using basic institutional parameters/indicators.
Key informant interviews were done to verify the results and for cross-verification. We
conclude that these standards are converging in their systems over time. Furthermore,
we urge to bring into the discussion the accreditation bodies in place and/or the system
in place to control/monitor the certification bodies, since the latter control/monitor the
implementation of the standards at the farm level and thus a considerable amount of
integrity is needed, which is being currently questioned by various actors in the cocoa
value chain.

Keywords: Certification, cocoa value chain, tripartite system

Contact Address: Enrique Uribe Leitz, Wageningen University, Development Economics

current address: Erkratherstr. 182, 40233 Düsseldorf, Germany, e-mail: enrique.uribeleitz@wur.nl
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