Re­spons­ible Value Chains - a Path to Sus­tain­able De­vel­op­ment?

Course content

In the last thirty years several international media and NGO reports have highlighted poor labor and environmental conditions at the base of the global value chains of internationally branded corporations. Responding to some of these challenges, many of these corporations have developed their own standards and codes of conduct and/or have joined multi-stakeholder initiatives that bring together business, NGOs, governments, and other organizations in trying to address the social and environmental challenges of export-oriented industries in developing countries.

In this course, we explore the potential and limitations of addressing sustainability in global value chains (GVCs) in relation to improving poor work, social and environmental conditions of production in export-oriented industries in developing countries. We do this through the lens of global value chain analysis, which helps us understand the transnational organization of industries, power relations and inequality within these industries, as we map the linkages between consumers, brand owners, suppliers, workers and nature in different parts of the Global South. In particular, we trace how the sustainability strategies of global brands travel through GVCs and touch down in different localities, differentially impacting upon local firms/farmers, workers, and local communities and environments.