European retailers as agents of change towards sustainability: The case of fruit production in Brazil

Abstract

Publication details, including instructions for authors and subscription information: http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/title~content=t713682447European retailers as agents of change towards sustainability: The case of fruit production in Brazil Full terms and conditions of use: http://www.informaworld.com/terms-and-conditions-of-access.pdf This article may be used for research, teaching and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproduction, re-distribution, re-selling, loan or sub-licensing, systematic supply or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden.The publisher does not give any warranty express or implied or make any representation that the contents will be complete or accurate or up to date. The accuracy of any instructions, formulae and drug doses should be independently verified with primary sources. The publisher shall not be liable for any loss, actions, claims, proceedings, demand or costs or damages whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with or arising out of the use of this material. RESEARCH ARTICLEEuropean retailers as agents of change towards sustainability: The case of fruit production in Brazil NICOLIEN M. VAN Abstract As multinational food producers and large retailers are increasingly adopting programmes for safe and sustainable agriculture, they could play a role as 'agents of change' in the transition process towards socially and environmentally responsible production methods. This article argues that the present private-sector programmes indeed provide an impetus for farmers to change their production methods, but are at the same time a second-best option, because their scope is limited, they may suffer from a weak environmental and social content, they may have discriminating effects on market access, and they may lack democratic procedures. Therefore, it seems necessary that competing initiatives will be developed using a multi-stakeholder approach, because competition between certification programmes may give an impetus to raise their ambition level in terms of content and good governance. At the same time, governments could play a more active role by using regulatory intervention. Governments could work, for example, on minimum definitions of sustainable agricultural production methods, the restriction of concentrated buyer power and the assistance of smaller producers in coping with the new quality and safety requirements. The empirical focus of this article is on the retailer-led EUREPGAP programme for fruit and vegetables in combination with three fruit producing companies in Brazil.

Actors in private food governance: the legitimacy of retail standards and multistakeholder initiatives with civil society participation

“…As shown by a growing number of studies, the implications of private food governance institutions on the sustainability of the global food system are ambivalent, if we define sustainability as including the dimensions of food safety, environmental well-being, and farmers' incomes. These implications may tend to be positive in some aspects such as the food safety in developed countries but extremely negative in others (Barrientos et al 2001;; Van der Grijp et al 2005). Especially in developing countries, a trend toward the marginalisation of small farmers and retailers and subsequently an increase in economic inequality due to the expansion in private retail standards can be observed.…”

“…3 These positive effects exist mainly for consumers in the industrialized countries and perhaps wealthy consumers in developing countries, however. While optimistic observers note that higher standards for export markets can lead to spillover effects for domestic food safety in developing countries (Jaffee and Henson 2004), critical scholars report that the new retail standards lead to an increasing gap in quality between export and domestic food products (Van der Grijp et al 2005).…”

“…7 Even significant efforts such as the ETI fail to recognize crucial societal issues, such as the different priorities for female workers and farmers stemming from the gendered nature of women's obligations to meet domestic and household commitments as well as their employment related responsibilities (Pearson 2007). In sum, private retail food standards are creating trends in employment and income that result in highly uneven and unequal development in the producing countries and regions and imply the degradation of social well-being for a substantial share of the population there (Van der Grijp et al 2005).…”

“…For other initiatives claiming to pay significant attention to environmental issues as well, such as the GlobalGap, most specifications for environmental conservation are recommendations (see GlobalGap 2008) and non-compliance does not always prevent certification. 4 More importantly, the emphasis on various sustainability issues within the GlobalGap initiative has gradually decreased from its launch until today (Van der Grijp et al 2005). 5 The social dimension of sustainability, even if formally included in mainstream retail standards, receives the least attention (e.g.…”

“…food safety, environmental sustainability, social sustainability, and in terms of the distribution of target group considered, i.e. consumers in developed or developing countries (Barrientos et al 2001;; Van der Grijp et al 2005). 2 Most private retail food standards address issues of food safety, which accordingly has improved in the food chain.…”