Yixian Sun 孙一先
Beyond the North: The Diffusion of Private Sustainability Governance in China
Eco-certification has risen over the last two decades as a prominent mode of private governance to promote sustainable production and consumption. However, literature in this area has paid insufficient attention to the growth of these initiatives in emerging economies, which have become leading producers and consumers of many commodities. This dissertation focuses on China, a central player in global agri-food value chains with an authoritarian system of government, as a critical case for understanding the forces driving business support for eco-certification in emerging market contexts. Drawing on new institutionalist theories, I identify incentives that various stakeholders can offer Southern businesses to adopt certification. I argue that despite limited pressure from civil society, state actors can provide much-needed support for the uptake of private governance in China, and interaction between transnational and domestic actors are central to this political process.
This theoretical model is tested in China’s seafood, palm oil, and tea sectors. Using original data from qualitative and quantitative sources, including over 100 field interviews and original firm surveys, my analysis shows that while Northern market agents initially introduced eco-certification programs in China, the information, services and rewards provided by domestic state or quasi-state actors have effectively motivated Chinese businesses to adopt relevant standards. To increase their influence, certification programs also need to proactively engage domestic stakeholders and devote resources on the ground. Despite these promising trends, evidence also suggests that certification has favored industrial, capital-intensive production, leaving many small businesses unaffected. The study offers new insights into the interaction among actors in private politics and the potential for private sustainability governance in large emerging economies.
