A capability approach to assessing impacts of voluntary sustainability certification : A case study of Indonesian small-scale tuna fisheries

Samenvatting

There has been a growing interest in the inclusion of small-scale fisheries in voluntary sustainability certification, but examining the impacts of certification on these fisheries remains challenging. Existing studies have focused more on the various outcomes and changes that certification brings to small-scale fishers. While understanding the outcomes is necessary, there is a call for more nuance on the processes and dynamics involved in certification. This thesis offers a new perspective on understanding the impacts through the capability lens, that is, how certification actually works, with whom it interacts, how it interacts, and under what conditions it can be accessible and bring benefits to fishers and what it means for sustainability. The capability approach is applied at the individuals, groups, and institutional levels beyond individuals and groups, including value chain and broadened governance levels, using a case study of the Fair Trade USA Capture Fisheries Standard certification for small-scale tuna fisheries in Indonesia. This thesis argues that the certification has worked as a system of nested capabilities. Within this system, fishers, fisher groups, value chains, and other key actors have exercised their opportunities at different levels to participate or/and to control for compliance for the certification in multi-tier captive relationships within a hybrid governance arrangement. This thesis concludes that the effectiveness of sustainability certification goes beyond the question of livelihood and environmental outcomes. Instead, it involves a complex, nuanced, and dynamic system, offering a broader perspective of impact evaluation.