« 00031 · Edit Form · 00033 »

Daniele Giovannucci & Stefano Ponte (2005) ‘’Standards as a new form of social contract?
Sustainability initiatives in the coffee industry’‘

Paper,
Elsevier Ltd.

Document:

Abstract
In the former age of national capitalism, the achievement of market fairness was embedded
in a normative framework generated by government, labor unions, and perhaps religious
authority. In the current age of global capitalism, new actors such as NGOs, industry associations
and public–private partnerships provide the normative framework that corporations use
for social legitimacy. In this context, standard-setting processes operate as new forms of social
contract where the state, rather than being directly involved between the parties, provides a
form of basic guarantee while (more or less accountable) NGOs and Wrms are in charge of
hammering out the bargains. This article examines the dynamics of this new conWguration
through the case study of sustainability initiatives in the coVee sector. It addresses four questions:
(1) Are these standards eVective in communicating information and creating new markets?
(2) To what extent do they embed elements of collective and private interests? (3) Is
sustainability content actually delivered to their intended beneWciaries? and (4) What is the
role of public policy in addressing their shortcomings?

Keywords: Grades and standards; Coffee

Relevance to our study:

Relevancy on a scale from 1 to 5 = 3

Review status: In progress
Review started on 2009–04–16
Reviewed by Jane Vine?

Comments: