Benchmarking guide for analysing or evaluating sustainability initiatives or performance.
This desk research is an output from the Delta Framework, an ISEAL Innovations Fund supported project that is developing a cross-commodity framework for sustainability monitoring and reporting.
The document at the bottom of this page provides a high level summary of what polygon location data is and why it is of significant value to sustainability standards. It aims to encourage decision makers within systems to consider the operational collection and use of polygon data within their organisations.
Six years ago, ISEAL published a comprehensive review and synthesis of existing literature and evidence of the business benefits of using sustainability standards.
Improving the flow of sustainability information through a new standardised metadata set
There is now wide recognition that the ongoing pandemic has had a profound impact on women across all dimensions of economic and social activity. From shifting gender roles within the household to effects on women’s active role in the economy and the real health and well-being effects of the pandemic, there is a growing concern that women are ‘losing out’ severely. From the standpoint of sustainability standards and systems, the pandemic has opened up the opportunity to review many streams of work, including how they conduct their assurance activities.
This research aims to contribute evidence of the Impacts of Voluntary Sustainability Standards as well as provide a working definition for the concept of systemic impacts.
This document provides practical guidance for sustainability systems to support them in generating valuable and actionable insights from data. Utilizing concepts in data science, it is intended for sustainability systems seeking to maximise the value of their data, combine data sources, and enable improved data-driven decision making procedures.
Learn how a partnership between the government of the world’s largest coffee producing state – Minas Gerais – and the world’s largest voluntary standard for coffee, UTZ Certified, enables producers access to high-value markets while scaling-up more sustainable production practices.
A concise document that outlines the key lessons learned from the VIA Initiative.
This document summarises the results of a pilot project coordinated by ISEAL to face the challenge of communicating the impacts of standards. It also reflects on the value of this pilot as a rich learning experience for all the individuals involved.
In this video, small producers report on the impact sustainability standards have had on their life. 
In this webinar, Patrick Mallet, Director of Innovations at ISEAL, presents the newest approaches to data and other tools to build trust in supply chains.
Webinar on key concepts in the development of a Theory of Change (ToC) for standard systems.
This webinar explores innovations that ISEAL members are involved in, including projects supported by ISEAL’s new Innovations Fund, such as blockchain and geospatial data.


Voluntary sustainability standards have the potential to deliver impacts that go beyond individual certified operations and effect wider systemic changes, according to new research published by WWF and ISEAL. These ‘systemic impacts’ help to create an enabling environment for production and consumption practices that benefit people and the planet, and contribute toward the Sustainable Development Goals.
What is the role that standards systems play in changing the practices of certified entities? How effective are standards systems in driving change in practices over time? This webinar explores these questions and delves into the findings of a new research review conducted by the University of Oxford and 3Keel consultants.
In this webinar, Equitable Origin shares the insights gained and outputs generated from a ten month project funded by the ISEAL Innovations Fund to explore how FPIC processes could be better monitored and verified. The right to free, prior and informed consent (FPIC) is a key principle of international human rights law.
This webinar looks at the critical factors that help independent assurance programmes be credible and effective. Member examples, including RSPO, are used.
This resource includes the recording of the Webinar: ISEAL guidance to support remote auditing practices; Overview, Discussion and Next steps
Juan Isaza, Program Manager, explains what the IPM Coalition is and how this initiative will accelerate the elimination of highly hazardous pesticide usage throughout the world.
This resource includes the recording, slides and agenda of the first learning workshop of the remote auditing project.
This webinar discusses the report from WWF and ISEAL 'SDGs mean business: How credible standards can help deliver the 2030 Agenda'.
This webinar explores opportunities for increasing interoperability of sustainability standards based on research on standards in the metals, minerals and mining sector.