An assessment of sustainable forest and fisheries certification and eco-labelling: comparing outcomes in shellfish fisheries and pulp and paper mills in Atlantic Canada

Abstract

Private systems of governance have proliferated in various global locations, with the intent of promoting sustainability in the domains of natural resources and the environment and ameliorating negative impacts of production and consumption processes. These systems form part of a broader environmental network, emerging as alternatives to a ‘failed’ system of governmental regulation in these sectors. Third party, sustainable certification and ecolabelling is one type of private regulatory intervention, which essentially relies on markets (consumers’ and buyers’ within the supply chain) to demand compliance with sustainability standards from producers and organisations. Research and discussions on certification and ecolabelling schemes or programs have increased over the last two decades; however, there is still inadequate knowledge on the sustainability impacts or outcomes of these schemes. This study adopts a mixed-method, comparative approach that complements data from a survey, involving (shell fish) fisheries and two pulp and paper mills in Canada’s Atlantic Region, with existing research findings on this area to identify certification outcomes in the fisheries and forestry sectors. The results for both sectors suggest that, while there may be some improvements or impacts from sustainability certification, these improvements vary and are difficult to define. In addition, ambiguity in the responses and comments given in the survey is evidence that distinguishing sustainability outcomes or impacts specific to certifications in these two sectors, based on this study, may be problematic.