Voluntary sustainability standards could significantly reduce detrimental impacts of global agriculture.

Voluntary sustainability standards (VSS) are stakeholder-derived principles with measurable and enforceable criteria to promote sustainable production outcomes. While institutional commitments to use VSS to meet sustainable procurement policies have grown rapidly over the past decade, we still have relatively little understanding of the (i) direct environmental benefits of large-scale VSS adoption; (ii) potential perverse indirect impacts of adoption; and (iii) implementation pathways. Here, we illustrate and address these knowledge gaps using an ecosystem service modeling and scenario analysis of Bonsucro, the leading VSS for sugarcane. We find that global compliance with the Bonsucro environmental standards would reduce current sugarcane production area (-24%), net tonnage (-11%), irrigation water use (-65%), nutrient loading (-34%), and greenhouse gas emissions from cultivation (-51%). Under a scenario of doubled global sugarcane production, Bonsucro adoption would further limit water use and greenhouse gas emissions by preventing sugarcane expansion into water-stressed and high-carbon stock ecosystems. This outcome was achieved via expansion largely on existing agricultural lands. However, displacement of other crops could drive detrimental impacts from indirect land use. We find that over half of the potential direct environmental benefits of Bonsucro standards under the doubling scenario could be achieved by targeting adoption in just 10% of global sugarcane production areas. However, designing policy that generates the most environmentally beneficial Bonsucro adoption pathway requires a better understanding of the economic and social costs of VSS adoption. Finally, we suggest research directions to advance sustainable consumption and production.

Social stigma and community recreation participation by the mentally and physically handicapped.

This paper presents research results on social stigma barriers to community recreation participation by the mentally and physically handicapped. Depth interviews with 180 physically handicapped, mentally retarded, and mentally ill persons from community and institutional residential settings were conducted to determine (a) their perception of negative, stigmatizing attitudes toward the handicapped, and (b) the degree to which these perceptions of community stigma restrict participation by the handicapped in community recreation. The study found that many handicapped people do perceive, and are affected by community stigma. Those with highly visible impairments are most likely to have experienced negative community reactions. The perception of stigmatizing attitudes leads to restricted recreation participation for some handicapped people, but not for others.