Verena Bitzer

• Report

This synthesis of six case studies studies the impact of the “landscape approach” and offers recommendations for its design and setup, as this approach – in theory – has the potential to support effective and sustainable action to prevent and address child labour. Based on an operational definition of a “landscape approach” – an approach […]

• Working Paper

This paper unravels the gender relations in rural forest-dependent communities in Ethiopia by taking a closer look at the country’s Bale Ecoregion, located in the Oromia regional state. Drawing on primary quantitative and qualitative data, the paper explores women’s roles as users of forest resources and in forest resource management, before reflecting on the construction […]

• Research article

Consolidating, analysing and synthesizing the empirical literature on gender and forest resources within low- and middle-income countries to unravel the multifaceted factors contributing to gender disparities. This systematic literature review provides a comprehensive understanding of the gender disparities in forest resource management, highlighting the multifaceted impact of gender norms on women’s access to and use […]

• Paper

Countries which imposed strict containment measures in response to the COVID-19 pandemic are thought to have faced particular socio-economic challenges. This study assesses the implications of COVID-19 disruptions on local agri-food value chain actors in Kenya and Uganda, as both countries enacted strict lockdowns to limit the spread of the virus.  Using survey data from […]

• Report

This report presents the findings of the mid-term evaluation (MTE) of the second phase of IDH’s Initiative for Sustainable Landscapes (ISLA), funded by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The ISLA programme was first launched in 2015 and is now half-way its second funding period (2021-2025). In view thereof, the purpose of this MTE is—besides accountability to […]

• Working Paper

This article explores the re-emergence of millet in domestic value chains and its use by private actors with innovative business models – using fortification or biofortification – to highlight millet’s smart food properties. While millet has been in the shadow of rice and wheat production for decades, recently there has been renewed interest in millet […]

• Research article

Studies on multi-stakeholder partnerships (MSPs) have highlighted the potential for conflict in MSPs, and particularly at the global–local interface has been identified as a key source of tension for partnerships in global value chains.  This article uncovers the nature of global–local conflicts, how these conflicts can play out in global MSPs, and how this can […]

• Working Paper

This article explores the drivers for smallholder farmers’ participation in climate change mitigation. In particular it aims to describe the mechanisms by which smallholder farmers can participate in and benefit from programmes which offset or inset carbon emissions and offer incentives for the provision of ecosystem services.

Aquaculture improvement projects (AIPs) have recently emerged as a new form of market-based and non-state governance in the aquaculture sector. They embody multi-stakeholder efforts that leverage the influence of the private sector to drive improvements in aquaculture production and ensure that these changes endure through improved policy and management strategies. This paper is based on […]

The Dutch Agreement on Sustainable Garments and Textile (AGT) was signed in July 2016 to support companies in implementing due diligence, develop joint activities and projects, and ultimately address adverse social, environmental and animal welfare challenges in supply chains. This evaluation aims to assess the qualitative and quantitative progress achieved in relation to the AGT’s […]

• Research article

The reduction of post-harvest losses (PHLs) has been identified as a key pathway to food and nutrition security in sub-Saharan Africa. However, despite policy prioritisation, knowledge about the severity of PHLs remains scant, especially when it comes to nutrient-dense crops such as African nightshade and bush beans. This paper identifies loss hotspots, causes and effects […]

• Working Paper

Agricultural production frequently competes with forest conservation. The issue is particularly significant in developing countries where economic pressures frequently drive projects oriented at short-term economic gains at the expense of deforestation and long-term sustainable development. This working paper offers a review of business models combining agriculture with conservation objectives and portrays two illustrative case studies […]

This synthesis report forms part of the evaluation of Dutch policy on International Responsible Business Conduct (IRBC)1 by the Policy and Operations Evaluation Department of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs (IOB), comprising (i) sector agreements on IRBC, (ii) frameworks for private sector instruments, (iii) Dutch Embassy activities, (iv) international cooperation and legislation, and (v) […]

This report is the result of a case study conducted in India as part of the evaluation of Dutch policy on International Responsible Business Conduct (IRBC) by the Policy and Operations Evaluation Department (IOB) of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA). The India study aimed to evaluate how different Dutch IRBC policy instruments manifest […]

This report is the result of a case study conducted in Ethiopia as part of the evaluation of Dutch policy on International Responsible Business Conduct (IRBC) by the Policy and Operations Evaluation Department of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs (IOB). The Ethiopia case study aims to evaluate how different Dutch IRBC policy instruments manifest […]

This report is the result of a case study conducted in Colombia as part of theevaluation of Dutch policy on International Responsible Business Conduct (IRBC) by the Policy and Operations Evaluation Department of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs (IOB). The Colombia study focuses on the mining sector and explores whether and how Dutch IRBC […]

This report is the result of a case study conducted in Bangladesh as part of the evaluation of Dutch policy on International Responsible Business Conduct (IRBC) by the Policy and Operations Evaluation Department of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs (IOB). The Bangladesh case study aimed to evaluate how different Dutch IRBC policy instruments manifest […]

• Working Paper

Since their emergence in the mid-1990s, voluntary sustainability standards (VSS) have been propelled from specialty niches into mainstream markets due to rising demand among consumers, buyers and producers to address socio-economic, environmental and food safety concerns. VSS range from efforts by single firms or NGOs, to industry associations and social movement organisations, business-NGO collaborations, multi- […]

Executive Summary This report presents the findings of an impact evaluation of the Lindt & Sprüngli (L&S) Farming Program in Ghana carried out by KIT Royal Tropical Institute in 2019. Based on quantitative and qualitative methods, the evaluation covered a variety of topics in line with the program’s Theory of Change. To track change over […]

Are voluntary multi-stakeholder approaches to responsible business conduct effective? This report presents the findings of the evaluation of sector-level agreements on Responsible Business Conduct (henceforth RBC agreements). The evaluation was commissioned by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the context of its project ‘Putting Responsible Business Conduct (RBC) Measures in Perspective’ to evaluate and […]

• Research article

In many developing countries, agribusinesses are highly engaged in providing services to smallholder farmers, including agricultural advisory services or extension. As private service providers depend on farmers’ choices, eliciting farmer feedback and learning from farmers’ demands are important. However, the phenomenon of agribusiness-based advisory services has received relatively little attention in the study of advisory […]

Research on Small Producer Organization (SPO) development, strengthening and resilience was commissioned by Fairtrade International to the Royal Tropical Institute (KIT) in the Netherlands. The study is a qualitative-led mixed-method six country study (Côte d’Ivoire, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Mexico and Peru). The objective of the research was to provide insights into processes of development and […]

The integration of male and female smallholders in high-end value chains (e.g. those for tree crops like cocoa, oil palm, avocado, and mango), has been promoted throughout the global South as a strategy for poverty alleviation, economic growth, employment generation, gender equality, and improved wellbeing. More critical literature, however, questions the inclusiveness of farmers’ value […]

• Report

The study was commissioned to the KIT Royal Tropical Institute in July 2017 by the Land Dialogue, with financial support from the Dutch Government. The objective is to provide insight and guidance into the relevance of land governance as a possible priority theme to be considered in the process of the International Responsible Business Conduct […]

Working Paper Series 2015 – 4 Agricultural extension has a significant role to play in rural development. Yet, ‘extension’ itself is also developing and so is its role in development. How extension is understood, coordinated, financed and implemented has evolved over time. While agricultural extension used to be almost exclusively publicly funded and implemented in […]

Working Paper Series 2016 – 1 Can agricultural extension systems deliver quality services to smallholder producers, often in remote areas? Yes, there is evidence that this is achieved in some developing and emerging economies. But this is by no means a common practice, and many extension systems continue to struggle with weak performance. This is […]

Working Paper Series 2016 – 2 Can agricultural extension systems deliver quality services to smallholder producers, often in remote areas? Yes, there is evidence that this is achieved in some developing and emerging economies. But this is by no means a common practice, and many extension systems continue to struggle with weak performance. This is […]

Working Paper Series 2016 – 4 Can agricultural extension systems deliver quality services to smallholder producers, often in remote areas? Yes, there is evidence that this is achieved in some developing and emerging economies. But this is by no means a common practice, and many extension systems continue to struggle with weak performance. This is […]

Working Paper Series 2016 – 6 Can agricultural extension systems deliver quality services to smallholder producers, often in remote areas? Yes, there is evidence that this is achieved in some developing and emerging economies. But this is by no means a common practice, and many extension systems continue to struggle with weak performance. This is […]

• Working Paper

Working Paper Series 2017 – 11 Agricultural innovation systems are complex, multi-layered, and can be difficult to define and analyse. In this paper, we provide examples of ‘systems analysis’: describing the context, what was done, and how the outcomes informed broader research and development activities. The five cases describe analyses of: i) agricultural systems in […]

International business is confronted with significant risks and impacts related to human rights, labour rights, environment and climate change. These impact on local communities, economies, environment and land use in “host” countries, but also affect Dutch companies and consumers. In order to address these risks and initiated by the Dutch Government, the Dutch Social-Economic Council […]

This report aims to take stock of the Dutch Aid and Trade agenda, with a particular focus on the time period of 2013-2017,to bring together existing insights on what has worked, what hasn’t worked, and what needs more focus and attention.Based on a meta-analysis of policy documents and 16 recent external evaluations of Dutch Aid […]

• Research article

A growing variety of public and private rural advisory services (Box 1) are available today, leading to increasingly “pluralistic service systems” (PSS), where advisory services are provided by different actors and funded from different sources (Wongtschowski et al., 2013). This is generally regarded as an important step forwards, away from reliance on monolithic, mostly state-led […]

• Research article

Rural agricultural advisory services to facilitate farmers’ access to information have made a remarkable comeback on the international development agenda. After years of neglect, much attention has recently been devoted to the emergence of pluralistic service systems (PSS), in which advisory services are provided by different actors and funded from different sources. Private companies, non-governmental […]