United States
£ GBP
Commodities like coffee, tea, sugar, cocoa, timber and fish are key components of world trade. They unite primary and intermediary producers with retailers, wholesalers and consumers in a global network of production and consumption. Yet, much of this global commodity trade is environmentally and socially unsustainable resulting in pollution, deforestation, overfishing, the exploitation of indigenous peoples' lands and low-paid labour. Governmental efforts to deliver better outcomes have been halting and half-hearted. Working within international organizations, they have been unable to agree strong rules to govern the global commons, prompting the formation of unique coalitions between business and civil society organizations to develop alternative governance mechanisms.
One especially significant form of these new governance arrangements is certification and labeling such as the schemes developed by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC). These organizations aim to secure the sustainable production of wood and fish products by developing standards, monitoring compliance, and certifying and labeling products for purchase in stores by consumers. This book builds on the policy network literature to develop a unique ecological political economy approach to analyzing the schemes. It provides a comparative analysis of the governance arrangements that underpin the FSC and MSC and engages in a forensic analysis of governmental responses to the two schemes in Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom.
Commodity Governance in a Globalising World Global Commodities, Sustainable Governance: An Analytic Framework The Forest Stewardship Council and the Marine Stewardship Council Forests and Fisheries Management in Comparative Perspective Forest and Fisheries Certification in Australia Forest and Fisheries Certification in Canada Forest and Fisheries Certification in the United Kingdom Comparative Analysis of State Responses to FSC and MSC Conclusion
FRED P. GALE Senior Lecturer in the School of Politics, University of Tasmania, Australia. MARCUS HAWARD Associate Professor in the School of Politics, University of Tasmania, Australia.
'This book provides a comprehensive and timely analysis of the role of the state in market- and civil society led global commodity governance. Focusing on forest and fisheries certification, Gale and Haward demonstrate that governments influence processes and outcomes in more ways than you would think. It is essential reading for all who have dismissed governments as insignificant actors in global commodity governance' -- Lars H. Gulbrandsen, Senior Research Fellow, Fridtjof Nansen Institute, Norway 'To effectively analyze natural resource industries requires a broad, holistic approach. This book does the job nicely. In it, one finds a wonderful mix of topics. The emphasis is on the changing face of governance in fisheries and forestry, but it also includes a policy analysis of how ecolabelling and certification have evolved in these two commodity based industries. There are also useful comparisons of the key sustainability issues in fisheries and forestry. I learned a great deal here.' -Anthony Charles, St. Mary's University, Halifax, Canada
