The paper How Regulation and Standards Can Support Social and Environmental Dynamics in Global Value Chains locates standards (economic, social, health, and environmental) as a means to achieve sustainability goals within a global value chain (GVC) approach to introduce dynamism and the potentially contradictory impact of chain power dynamics on sustainability goals. It explores the policy measures that will best lead to the most positive outcomes as standards diffuse through global value chains.
Regulations and standards have become an increasingly important factor affecting the capacity of producers to participate in global markets. Directly and indirectly, they not only determine the terms of market entry but also affect the extent to which different producers are able to position themselves in global value chains in a manner which provides for socially and environmentally sustainable income growth. Standards compliance can enhance producer capabilities and assist in meeting many objectives of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). But it may also involve trade-offs between different SDGs.