Voluntary Sustainability Standards in Global Agrifood Systems: Emerging Challenges and Policy Pathways

Aleksandra Kowalska; Ashura Salim; Olga Smalej-Kołodziej

doi:10.18290/pepsi-2026-0008

Published : 2026-06-30

Vol. 32 No. 1 (2026)

Voluntary Sustainability Standards in Global Agrifood Systems: Emerging Challenges and Policy Pathways

Aleksandra Kowalska

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3854-951X

Ashura Salim

https://orcid.org/0009-0004-2953-9605

Olga Smalej-Kołodziej

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6230-059X

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18290/pepsi-2026-0008

Abstract

Agrifood production systems drive environmental degradation and deepen social and economic inequalities, particularly in developing countries. Voluntary Sustainability Standards (VSS) have emerged to promote economic viability, social equity, and environmental protection within global value chains. This narrative review critically examines their role in advancing sustainability across production systems, focusing on environmental practices, livelihoods, market access, and power relations. The schemes analyzed include Fairtrade, Rainforest Alliance, organic agriculture, GLOBALG.A.P. (Good Agricultural Practice), RSPO (Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil), and 4C (Common Code for the Coffee Community). Evidence shows that VSS can enhance smallholder livelihoods and market integration, build technical capacity, foster sustainable environmental management (e.g., biodiversity conservation, reduced deforestation), and improve governance, traceability, and market compliance. However, effectiveness remains constrained by high certification and compliance costs, unequal value distribution, limited inclusivity of marginalized producers, context-dependent environmental outcomes, and weak monitoring systems. The study calls for targeted policy support, such as incentive payments or compensatory subsidies, to alleviate compliance burdens, and for better data systems and digital tools to reinforce credibility and accountability. Overall, VSS can meaningfully contribute to sustainable agrifood systems only when embedded within comprehensive policy and institutional frameworks that address structural inequities and build local capacity.

Keywords:

Voluntary Sustainability Standards (VSS), agrifood value chains, responsible consumption and production, policy implications, small- holder farmers

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Kowalska, A., Salim, A., & Smalej-Kołodziej, O. (2026). Voluntary Sustainability Standards in Global Agrifood Systems: Emerging Challenges and Policy Pathways. Journal for Perspectives of Economic Political and Social Integration, 32(1), 243–276. https://doi.org/10.18290/pepsi-2026-0008

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Aleksandra Kowalska

aleksandra.kowalska@umcs.pl
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3854-951X

Affiliation:

Institute of Economics and Finance, Maria Curie-Skłodowska University in Lublin Poland

Bio Statement (e.g., department and rank)

Aleksandra Kowalska is an Associate Professor at the Institute of Economics and Finance, Maria Curie-Skłodowska University (UMCS) in Lublin, Poland. Since June 2025, she has led the UMCS AgriFood Sustainability Lab. She has published in numerous peer‑reviewed journals, authored several book chapters, and written two books on food integrity and sustainable development economics. Her research focuses on agricultural digitalization, food security, and consumer behavior modeling. Her expertise also includes food quality and safety management, as well as food loss and waste. She is a member of the Polish Association of Agricultural and Agribusiness Economists, the European Association of Agricultural Economists, and INFORMS.

Ashura Salim

ashuraaus427@gmail.com
https://orcid.org/0009-0004-2953-9605

Affiliation:

Doctoral School of Social Sciences, Maria Curie-Skłodowska University in Lublin Poland

Bio Statement (e.g., department and rank)

Ashura Salim is a doctoral researcher at the Doctoral School of Social Sciences, Maria Curie-Skłodowska University in Lublin, Poland. She holds a Master’s degree in Agrifood Economics and Trade from Poznań University of Life Sciences. Her PhD research focuses on sustainable production and consumption, with particular attention to Fairtrade agrifood products. Her research focuses on advancing environmentally sustainable and socially equitable models of production and consumption in the agrifood sector. She examines how Fairtrade and other ethical trade practices foster fair supply chains, strengthen producer livelihoods, and shape sustainable consumer behavior, along with their broader socioeconomic implications.

Olga Smalej-Kołodziej

olga.smalej-kolodziej@umcs.pl
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6230-059X

Affiliation:

Institute of Management and Quality Sciences, Maria Curie-Skłodowska University in Lublin Poland

Bio Statement (e.g., department and rank)

Olga Smalej-Kołodziej is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Research Methods in Management at the Institute of Management and Quality Sciences, Maria Curie-Skłodowska University in Lublin. Her research interests are broadly situated within the social sciences, with a particular focus on the behavior of young consumers and market research. She has been passionate about empirical research, especially in the fields of marketing and market analysis. In her work, she focuses on integrating social and economic aspects. She also collaborates with the socio-economic environment, preparing research and analyses for institutions and companies.