Food certification shemes as Private Institutions of Sustainability

The demand for an ecologically and socially more responsible production has increased dramatically. Traditionally, public authorities intervene by means of regulations and economic stimuli, but also private market parties integrate social and ecological concerns into their business objectives. As such they hope to create added value. Consequently, this can result into a win-win for both the private actor and the society. To operationalize these private initiatives in the farm sector, certification schemes with private standards and labels are used. These certification schemes can be considered as an example of Private Institutions of Sustainability, which are sets of rules voluntary followed by private market actors to reach a sustainability target. The paper investigates whether these certification schemes and labels, as examples of Private Institutions of Sustainability, are a promising instrument to realize sustainable development. A conceptual framework is developed and key research questions are investigated.