Sustainable cocoa value chains, Nutrition security, European cocoa market, EU-Africa cooperation
Transform value chains, businesses and policies to facilitate the transition to agroecology
The EU is the largest importer of cocoa, making its supply chains highly dependent on smallholder farmers in the Global South. With increasing regulatory requirements such as Regulation (EU) 2018/848, ensuring sustainability, transparency, and compliance with environmental and social standards is crucial. The EU Green Deal and associated trade policies emphasize reducing carbon emissions, biodiversity loss, and social inequalities in supply chains.
Furthermore, European consumers are increasingly demanding ethical, traceable, and sustainably sourced food products. However, knowledge gaps between European stakeholders (including policymakers, certifiers, and consumers) and cocoa producers hinder effective implementation of sustainability initiatives. This project seeks to bridge these gaps by fostering collaborative knowledge exchange and developing scalable solutions that benefit both the Global South and the EU market.
This project aims to assess and improve nutrition security among cocoa farmers in Ghana while developing a transparent, farm-to-fork framework for sustainably and organically sourced cocoa. By integrating agroecology principles, the project will examine the relationship between sustainable farming practices, economic viability, and nutrition outcomes.
To achieve this, we are seeking European-based partners with expertise in:
Agricultural Economics – To assess the economic trade-offs, market implications, and policy impacts of agroecological transitions within cocoa farming, including EU market dynamics.
Living Labs & Participatory Research – To co-develop and implement inclusive, farmer-centered solutions that integrate knowledge from diverse stakeholders in both Europe and Ghana.
We invite European research institutions, agribusinesses, NGOs, and policymakers to join us in shaping a resilient, transparent, and sustainable cocoa value chain.
If you have expertise in any of these areas and are interested in collaborating, please get in touch!
Justus Liebig University Giessen (JLU) is one of Germany’s leading research institutions, known for its strong focus on agricultural sciences, food security, and sustainability.
