Certified ABS: the Union for Ethical Biotrade and the use of trade and certification marks to encourage and facilitate behaviour change

Certification is used to indicate that goods, services or business practices meet certain standards.2 It is used in a wide range of fields (e.g. forestry, livestock, banking, agriculture and electrical goods), on a variety of products and services (e.g. food, finance and fridges), and to advance various goals and objectives (e.g. organic practices, labour conditions and sustainability). In addition to recognising the attainment of certain standards and advancing particular ends, 3 certification is often justified because it enables certified goods or services to be differentiated from those that are not. In so doing, certification may help consumers decide which products and services to purchase, and which ones to pay a premium for. Certification, therefore, can play an important role in increasing the market value of goods or services being certified. For instance, according to an empirical study conducted by the International Accreditation Forum, 83 per cent of businesses felt that certification added value to their organisation, 17 per cent found a significant increase in sales as a direct result of certification, 32 per cent indicated a minor rise in sales due to certification, and 16 per cent considered certification being important to direct customers.4