Product Certification and Ecolabelling for Fisheries Sustainability

Table of Contents

FAO Technical Paper

FAO
FISHERIES
TECHNICAL
PAPER
422

by

Cathy Roheim Wessells
Professor, Department of Environmental and Natural
Resource Economics, University of Rhode Island
Kingston, USA

Kevern Cochrane
Senior Fishery Resources Officer
FAO Fisheries Department
Rome, Italy

Carolyn Deere
Assistant Director, Global Inclusion
The Rockefeller Foundation
New York, USA

Paul Wallis
Senior International Advisor
New Zealand Ministry of Fisheries
Wellington, New Zealand

Rolf Willmann
Senior Fishery Planning Officer
FAO Fisheries Department
Rome, Italy

The designation employed and the presentation of the material in this information product do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.

All rights reserved. Reproduction and dissemination of material in this information product for educational or other non-commercial purposes are authorized without any prior written permission from the copyright holders provided the source is fully acknowledged. Reproduction of material in this information product for resale or other commercial purposes is prohibited without written permission of the copyright holders. Applications for such permission should be addressed to the Chief, Publishing and Multimedia Service, Information Division, FAO, Viale delle Terme di Caracalla, 00100 Rome, Italy or by e-mail to [email protected]

© FAO 2001

Table of Contents

Preparation of this document

Abstract

Executive Summary

1. Introduction

2. Why Label for Sustainability?

3. Ecolabelling

3.1 What are Ecolabels?
3.2 The Theoretical Foundation of Ecolabelling: Economics of Information
3.3 Economic Analysis of Ecolabels
3.4 Institutional Aspects of Ecolabelling
3.5 Criteria for Ecolabelling
3.6 Experience with Ecolabels

4. Product Certification

4.1 Origin and Need
4.2 Economics of Product Certification
4.3 Characteristics of Product Certification Schemes

5. Opportunities and Concerns with Ecolabels

5.1 Opportunities
5.2 Concerns

6. Ecolabelling and International Trade Law Implications

6.1 Ecolabelling and General International Law
6.2 Ecolabelling and WTO Agreements
6.3 Trade Implications of Seafood Ecolabelling

7. Conclusions

8. Bibliography

Annex: Internet Sites of Interest on Ecolabelling