A2 How sustainable are sustainability standards and other global supply chain initiatives?

SP A2 looks at the role of sustainability standards and sustainability initiatives in global supply chains for making food production in developing countries more sustainable. We will collect farm household data in an African country, focusing on a sector with substantial activity in certification and other supply chain sustainability initiatives (e.g. in coffee, cocoa or palm oil). Using econometric techniques we will analyze the impact of various sustainability initiatives on socio-economic and ecological outcomes and trade-offs between them. The role of these initiatives in facilitating farmers’ resilience and adaptation to shocks, e.g. related to climate change, will also be evaluated. Cost-benefit-analyses will be applied to assess how certification influences the provision of ecosystem services in localized food systems.

Possible dissertation topics:

What are the effects of supply chain sustainability initiatives on socioeconomic and ecological outcomes in smallholder production?
Do sustainability standards and initiatives increase resilience to shocks? Panel data evidence
Ecosystem services and certification: Assessing farmers’ and non-farmers’ preferences

Meike Wollni