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12. Responsible consumption and production

Articles overview

  • Evaluation of the Dutch RBC Agreements 2014-2020

    • Institute
    • Project

    KIT was contracted by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs to evaluate and review 11 sector-level multi-stakeholder agreements on responsible business conduct (RBC agreements). Objectives The objective of this evaluation was to gain an insight into the extent to which the RBC agreements advance the implementation of due diligence by companies in conformity with the […]

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  • Access to Seed Index

    • Institute
    • Project

    KIT provides seed sector and seed systems knowledge to the Access to Seeds Index, which evaluates and compares seed companies according to their efforts to improve access to quality seeds of improved varieties for smallholder farmers. The Index seeks primarily to identify leadership and good practices, providing an evidence base for the discussion on where […]

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  • Improving Access to Quality Feed & Forage Seed for the Dairy Sector in Kenya and Uganda

    • Institute
    • Project

    This project aims to develop viable business models for forage seed production and marketing that assure economically sustainable access to high-quality forage seed in Kenya and Uganda.   Gendered perceptions of livestock and agricultural production in Kenya: a new blog from the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, our project partners. In East Africa, dairy farming has high potential as […]

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  • Assessing the Best Aquaculture Practices Certification

    • Institute
    • Project

    KIT Royal Tropical Institute conducted an assessment of the ‘Best Aquaculture Practices’ (BAP) certification of the Global Aquaculture Alliance. The assessment aimed to better understand how BAP social and labour standards are applied in practice and to determine how they impact practices among seafood producers, processors and buyers. Ensuring aquaculture production is environmentally and socially […]

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  • The impact of voluntary sustainability standards on small-scale farmers in global commodity chains

    • Institute
    • Publication

    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- […]

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  • Harnessing blockchain technology for commodity chains

    • Institute
    • Publication

    With a wide range of potential benefits – such as improved traceability, food safety, and environmental sustainability, as well as increased farmer income– blockchain has become an increasingly popular technology option for commodity value chains. Yet, there is little knowledge among agri-food professionals of how the technology works, and there is (still) limited evidence of […]

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  • Alternative finance in commodity chains

    • Institute
    • Publication

    Working Paper Alternative Finance How small entrepreneurs and farmers can benefit from novel ways of financing. Access to affordable and reliable financing in agrifood commodity chains is of key importance for all actors along the chain, to use as working capital, and to invest in capital assets. There are a wide range of financing instruments […]

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  • L’essor des petits producteurs agricoles au Burkina Faso

    • Institute
    • Publication

    L’approche du Projet d’Amélioration de la Productivité agricole et de la Sécurité Alimentaire. Le Projet d’Amélioration de la Productivité agricole et de la Sécurité Alimentaire (PAPSA), financé par la Banque mondiale, avait pour objectif « d’améliorer la capacité des petits producteurs pauvres à accroître les productions vivrières et assurer une plus grande disponibilité de ces […]

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  • Evaluation of the Dutch RBC Agreements 2014-2020

    • Institute
    • Publication

    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 […]

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  • Inclusive Business Models for Access to Quality Fish Seed and Technical Assistance – Insights from Ghana

    • Institute
    • Publication

    Over the past decade, Ghana’s tilapia farming has experienced tremendous growth in production; however, much of the growth has been driven by large-scale cage farmers around Lake Volta. It remains unclear how this growth is and can be made more inclusive of poor and young women and men. This study was conducted to analyze different […]

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  • Small Producer Organization (SPO) Development, Strengthening and Resilience

    • Institute
    • Publication

    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 […]

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  • Market Concentration and Price Formation in the Global Cocoa Value Chain

    • Institute
    • Publication

    Is market concentration among large cocoa firms responsible for the widespread poverty among cocoa farmers? Probably not. While market concentration has increased, particularly among cocoa processors, the report does not find evidence that this concentration is excessive or that market power is being abused to keep prices artificially low. Instead, there are two other key […]

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