UNCTAD  [to 1 February 2014]
http://unctad.org/en/Pages/Home.aspx

31 January 2014
Comprehensive new reports examine impact of “eco-labels”
The average annual growth rate of products certified under “eco-labels” or voluntary sustainability standards (VSS) across all commodity sectors except biofuels in 2012 was a stunning 41%….
The State of Sustainability Initiatives (SSI) Review 2014 found that growth in VSS-compliant production was strongest in palm oil, which experienced 90% growth in 2012; sugar (74%), cocoa (69%) and cotton (55%).
The report is being launched alongside the first Measuring Sustainability Report of the Committee on Sustainability Assessment (COSA). Together these major reports provide the most comprehensive review to date of market trends, system performance and impact research on popular sustainability standards, and ask how sustainability initiatives actually affect farmers, communities and the environment in low and middle-income countries…