APEC Compendium of Best Practices: Mainstreaming Voluntary Sustainability Standards (VSS) to Trade in the APEC Region

This compendium aims to provide global best practices in the interest to facilitate Voluntary Sustainability Standards (VSS) as a market development and trade tool aligned to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). While the challenges of VSS, especially on small-scale producers and developing economies may be perceived to roll back the attainment of the SDGs, the emergence of VSS have become a market reality and the only way forward is to facilitate its advent in the most inclusive and sustainable manner.

The best practices that have been illustrated in this compendium are categorized under three key themes for governmental consideration, with the exception of aquaculture, which is an equally fundamental source of food trade in the region:

1. Promoting awareness and understanding and market development
2. Advocating practices through sector specific and multi-stakeholder approaches
3. Turning insights into impact with the power and governance of data
4. APEC´s case for aquaculture