A Study of the Implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Agricultural Commodity Chains between Ghana and Germany

Project staff
Victor Beauvois (trainee), Lina-Marie Huber, Nane Meents, Alberta Teye, Aziz Unusah

Duration
03/2018 - 10/2018

Funding
Engagement Global

Description
This qualitative research project is co-organized by the artec Sustainability Research Center and the Department of Anthropology and Cultural Research (IFEK) at the University of Bremen with the Centre for Migration Studies at the University of Ghana in Accra. The project is part of the ASA-program of Engagement Global which aims to provide a global learning experience for young researchers from Germany and the global south by researching in international teams (http://en.asa-programm.de/english/home/).

This particular study is conducted by two master students from the University of Bremen, one master student and a PhD candidate from the University of Ghana. The four students are undertaking their research in Germany from April to June and in Ghana from August to October 2018.

The focus of the research lies on social sustainability of the commodity chain of products that are exchanged between Germany and Ghana (chicken meat and cocoa): one part is focusing on the commodity chain of chicken meat, which is produced in north-west Germany in great quantities and partly exported to Ghana. The participants are investigating the working conditions of migrants in the chicken industry from different perspectives. Specifically, they explore how the working conditions affect the health of the migrant workers, which are the structures and mechanisms that keep the system of precarious working conditions functioning, and what are the relations between production and consumption.

The second part of the research is concerned with cocoa production in Ghana and certification processes in Germany. More specifically, the aim is to understand how standards and certifications (such as fair trade labels) affect the working conditions of people in the cocoa sector.