Rules without Rights: Land, Labor, and Private Authority in the Global Economy

This book is about what it really means when companies claim to be promoting sustainability and fairness in their global operations. While some of these claims are empty, many are backed by detailed voluntary standards, on-the-ground auditing, and certification of compliance, such as to the standards of the Forest Stewardship Council, which has an eco-label for paper, lumber, and furniture. The book compares the implementation of standards focused on sustainable timber operations with those focused on labor conditions in the global apparel and footwear industry, where exploitative and dangerous sweatshops have been common. Through a series of informative case studies, the book looks closely at how these standards have been implemented in Indonesia and China-countries that are crucial for apparel/footwear and timber manufacturing but that differ in their domestic political structures, at least since Indonesia democratized in the late 1990s. Based on interviews with workers, activists, company representatives, sustainability consultants and others, this book shows readers what is and is not being accomplished by voluntary corporate social responsibility and sustainability initiatives.