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8. Decent work and economic growth

Articles overview

  • A3-SEED South Sudan: Internal Project Evaluation

    • Institute
    • Publication

    This final report presents a comprehensive evaluation of the A3SEED project (2021–2025), a €10 million initiative funded by the Embassy of the Netherlands in South Sudan and implemented by IFDC in partnership with KIT Institute. The project aimed to transform the seed sector in South Sudan by strengthening domestic seed production through a private sector–led […]

  • Learning Brief: Lessons from implementing the Cocoa Household Income Study (CHIS) for living income measurement

    • Institute
    • Publication

    The Cocoa Household Income Study (CHIS) is a sector-wide initiative providing a harmonised methodology for monitoring and assessing living income in the cocoa sector. Published in 2024, the CHIS Methodology offers guidance for collecting representative and comparable household income data across all cocoa-producing households. Since its publication, the CHIS approach has been adopted across the […]

  • Endline Evaluation

    • Institute
    • Publication

    This endline evaluation assesses the two-year impact of the EnRoute programme, a partnership between ETG–Beyond Beans Foundation, Oxfam Novib, and KIT Institute. The programme set out to test practical, scalable approaches to closing the living income (LI) gap and reducing child labour (CL) among 599 farming households.  The programme tested three intervention models among cocoa-farming […]

  • Alternative Income Generation

    • Institute
    • Publication

    As the majority of cocoa producers in West Africa continue to earn far below a living income, the concept of living income has become central to discussions on sustainable cocoa. While efforts have traditionally focused on increasing cocoa productivity, there is growing recognition that income diversification is essential to reduce vulnerability to price volatility and […]

  • What is the development impact of vertical coordination in agricultural value chains in LMICs?

    • Institute
    • Publication

    This literature review examines how vertical coordination—tighter corporate control across agricultural value chains—affects development outcomes in low- and middle-income countries.  Having reviewed 19 academic studies on evidence-based outcomes of vertical coordination, the focus of the analysis is on three main impact areas: (1) local economic development, (2) local job creation, and (3) the inclusion of […]

  • Business-to-Business (B2B) Organisational and Marketing Innovations in Nigerian Horticulture

    • Institute
    • Publication

    The HortiNigeria programme, implemented by IFDC in partnership with Wageningen Research, East-West Seed International and KIT Institute, is strengthening Nigeria’s horticulture sector across the entire value chain—from production to marketing. This new learning brief explores how local actors drive innovation within Business-to-Business (B2B) linkages in Kano, Kaduna, Ogun, and Oyo states. Using Actor-Network Theory, it […]

  • A Comparative Review of Living Wage and Living Income Benchmarking Approaches

    • Institute
    • Publication

    This paper offers a systematic review of leading living wage (LW) and living income (LI) benchmarking methodologies to help users select the most appropriate approach for their specific context and purpose. Drawing on criteria developed by the Living Income Community of Practice—such as data quality, local adaptability, and stakeholder ownership—the review highlights the strengths and […]

  • Resilience during Cocoa Sector Turbulence

    • Institute
    • Publication

    Launched in 2022, Nestlé’s Income Accelerator Program aims to reduce the Living Income (LI) gap for cocoa farming households while addressing child labor risks. Centered around four key areas – school enrollment, good agricultural practices (GAPs), agroforestry, and income diversification – the program provides conditional cash transfers and resources to encourage farming practices that benefit […]

  • Living Income Benchmark for the Eastern Province and Living Income Reference Price for the cocoa sector in Sierra Leone (2024)

    • Institute
    • Publication

    This study, commissioned by the International Finance Corporation (IFC) as part of its effort to support the cocoa sector in Sierra Leone, compute two important  indicators: the Living Income Benchmark (LIB) for the cocoa-growing areas located in the Eastern Province of Sierra Leone and the Living Income Reference Price (LIRP) for the cocoa sector.  To bridge […]

  • Understanding Smallholder Inclusion Efforts of the Private Sector

    • Institute
    • Publication

    Large (buying) companies in global value chains are increasingly seeking to integrate smallholder farmers into their supply chains. Accordingly, they have developed programs to promote smallholder inclusion through productivity growth, market access, quality improvement, and other initiatives. The complexity of these initiatives highlights the need for a deeper understanding of smallholder inclusion models, applying both […]

  • How to accelerate South Sudan’s transition from seed aid to seed market?

    • Institute
    • Publication

    This policy brief outlines practical recommendations aimed at accelerating the transition of South Sudan’s seed sector from reliance on seed aid, or free seeds distributed by humanitarian agencies, towards the development of a viable, inclusive and sustainable seed market.

  • KIT Cocoa Living Income Questionnaire

    • Institute
    • Project

    KIT Institute has for long been at the forefront of living income research in the cocoa sector. Our experts have actively contributed to the Living Income Community of Practice (LICOP) and the Alliance on Living Income in Cocoa (ALICO), developing several tools and guidance documents for measuring the incomes of smallholder cocoa producers and evaluating […]