none 10.19103/AS.2024.0133.22 Burleigh Dodds Science Publishing Limited Burleigh Dodds Science Publishing Limited 8180 168529868 5486496 2242117 20241209100614048 10.19103 2026-04-01T13:50:43Z 2024-12-09T05:06:18Z 0 20596936 University of Lincoln Louise Manning There is increasing scrutiny of the safety, environmental and social impact of food production. However, the complexity of modern agri-food supply chains has significantly complicated the process of setting and enforcing appropriate standards. The thematic scope of standards has also expanded from its original focus on safety and quality to cover social responsibility and ethical trading, animal welfare, environmental sustainability, biodiversity loss and nature-related risks. Finally, the range of stakeholders involved in setting and monitoring standards governing agri-food supply chains has proliferated, from official national, regional and international bodies to non-government organisations (NGOs), the food industry itself and now the investment sector concerned to ensure their clients meet environmental, social and governance (ESG) standards. Improving standards and certification in agri-food supply chains: Ensuring safety, sustainability and social responsibility comprehensively addresses the challenges raised by this complex picture and features contributions from leading international experts from the Codex Alimentarius Commission and the Rainforest Alliance. The book discusses how to reconcile the roles of different stakeholders in standard setting, how changes in governance and technology can improve accountability, as well as the different ways of enhancing good agricultural practices (GAP) to meet new ways of producing food. The book also discusses the challenges and solutions in achieving effective standards promoting more socially responsible production and how best to address emerging practices to improve environmental sustainability such as regenerative agriculture. 12 12 2025 12 12 2025 9781801464512 Burleigh Dodds Science Publishing Limited 10.19103/AS.2024.0133 https://shop.bdspublishing.com/store/bds/detail/workgroup/3-190-136379 Mid Sweden University Anna Thorning Cecilia Mark-Herbert Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences Eco-labelling forest products through forest certification is a market-driven tool with a global influence. It is also met with challenges in acceptance and diffusion among stakeholders. Here the authors aim to provide a synthesis of forest certification impact and place this in the context of small private forest owners. The chapter starts with an introduction to the concept of forest certification and important governance and operations characteristics. Continued with a discussion about the impact of forest certification and how it can deliver environmental, social, and financial value. The case study focuses on the group of small private forest owners and their motivations to adopt forest certification. This is followed by a discussion about the logic behind forest certification for small private owners and what this could mean for the future of forest certification. 12 12 2025 12 12 2025 285 306 10.19103/AS.2024.0133.22 https://www.bdspublishing.com/webshop/chapters/crops/agri-food-systems/supply-chain-management/forest-certification-–-an-answer-to-the-challenge-of-sustainable-forest-management/ https://link.springer.com/10.19103/AS.2024.0133.22