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Vertically Differentiating Environmental Standards: The Case of the Marine Stewardship Council

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  • Simon R. Bush

    (Environmental Policy Group, Wageningen University, Hollandseweg 1, Wageningen 6701 KN, The Netherlands
    These authors contributed equally to this work.)

  • Peter Oosterveer

    (Environmental Policy Group, Wageningen University, Hollandseweg 1, Wageningen 6701 KN, The Netherlands
    These authors contributed equally to this work.)

Abstract

This paper explores the externally-led vertical differentiation of third-party certification standards using the case of the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC). We analyze this process in two dimensions. First, fisheries employ strategies to capture further market value from fishing practices that go beyond their initial conditions for certification and seek additional recognition for these activities through co-labelling with, amongst others, international NGOs. Second, fisheries not yet able to meet the requirements of MSC standards are being enrolled in NGO and private sector sponsored Fisheries Improvement Projects (FIPs), providing an alternative route to global markets. In both cases the credibility and authority of the MSC is challenged by new coalitions of market actors opening up new strategies for capturing market value and/or improving the conditions of international market access. Through the lens of global value chains, the results offer new insights on how such standards not only influence trade and markets, but are also starting to change their internal governance in response to threats to their credibility by actors and modes of coordination in global value chains.

Suggested Citation

  • Simon R. Bush & Peter Oosterveer, 2015. "Vertically Differentiating Environmental Standards: The Case of the Marine Stewardship Council," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 7(2), pages 1-23, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:7:y:2015:i:2:p:1861-1883:d:45686
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    2. Christopher Martin & Hiroe Ishihara, 2024. "Establishing a typology for stewardship: a nexus of opportunity for organisational and environmental management," Sustainability Nexus Forum, Springer, vol. 32(1), pages 1-10, December.
    3. Frank Wijen & Mireille Chiroleu-Assouline, 2019. "Controversy Over Voluntary Environmental Standards: A Socioeconomic Analysis of the Marine Stewardship Council," PSE-Ecole d'économie de Paris (Postprint) halshs-02071504, HAL.
    4. Wilson, Norbert L. W., 2017. "Labels, Food Safety, and International Trade," ADBI Working Papers 657, Asian Development Bank Institute.
    5. Frazen Tolentino-Zondervan & Paul Berentsen & Simon R Bush & Larry Digal & Alfons Oude Lansink, 2016. "Fisher-Level Decision Making to Participate in Fisheries Improvement Projects (FIPs) for Yellowfin Tuna in the Philippines," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 11(10), pages 1-22, October.

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