Promoting Economic and Social Upgrading in Global Value Chains

The CBS Sustainability Platform in collaboration with the Danish Ethical Trading Initiative (DIEH) have the pleasure of inviting you to a seminar with Dr. Stephanie Barrientos, University of Manchester, who will present findings from the ‘Capturing the Gains Program’.

Tuesday, June 18, 2013 - 10:00 to 11:30

Råvarerbygningen, R3.20

Invitation to Sustainability Platform Seminar with

Dr. Stephanie Barrientos on

“Promoting Economic and Social Upgrading in Global Value Chains: Evidence from the Capturing the Gains Program”

The CBS Sustainability Platform in collaboration with the Danish Ethical Trading Initiative (DIEH) have the pleasure of inviting you to a seminar with Dr. Stephanie Barrientos, University of Manchester, who will present findings from the ‘Capturing the Gains Program’.

Focus of the seminar:

Capturing the Gains (www.capturingthegains.org) is an international research network investigating linkages between the commercial dynamics and outcomes for workers within global value chains. The research draws together two concepts: economic upgrading, defined as moving to higher value activities by firms – and social upgrading, broadly defined as decent work and enabling rights for workers.

The governance of global value chains and relative bargaining position of workers are critical in determining whether they enjoy better jobs. This seminar presents examples from agriculture within Africa (cocoa and horticulture) to examine the consequences for smallholders and workers of rising demand for skills at low cost in markets with higher volume and lower price. New leverage points for economic and social upgrading are created through shifting regional dynamics of GPNs, but these require different strategies if smallholders and workers are to benefit.

Dr. Stephanie Barrientos is a Senior Lecturer in the Institute of Development Policy and Management and Associate Director of the Brooks World Poverty Institute at The University of Manchester. She coordinated the UK Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) Impact Assessment (2003-2006) with comparative studies in 5 countries and 3 sectors. She coordinated studies for Cadbury Mapping Sustainable Cocoa Production in Ghana and India. This informed the formation of the Cadbury Cocoa Partnership providing UK£45M to support cocoa farmers, and their subsequent move towards Fairtrade.

Please register at sustainability@cbs.dk. Feel free to circulate invitation among colleagues and students.

We look forward to seeing you!

The page was last edited by: Sustainability Platform // 09/28/2023