PhD position: "Assessing the effectiveness and equity of zero-deforestation commitment implementation in the palm oil sector"

Project overview

Expansion of globally traded commodities is the leading cause of tropical forest loss. Recent campaigns by NGOs have incentivized major corporations to make commitments to exclude products associated with deforestation from their supply chains (‘zero deforestation commitments’). To achieve these goals, companies are increasing supply chain transparency and traceability, sourcing certified products, and working directly with producers to change land use practices. Yet, the effects of such corporate policies on producer behavior and environmental and social outcomes remain unclear. This project focuses on the Indonesian palm oil sector and aims to understand under what conditions zero-deforestation commitment implementation can be both effective and equitable by supporting low-deforestation rural development.

Job Description

This PhD position will include a combination of fieldwork and modelling to better understand how company zero-deforestation commitments are being implemented and enforced in Indonesia. In particular, the student will conduct household and supply chain interviews to assess how commitment implementation mechanisms and contexts influence commitment effectiveness and equity. 

The PhD student will work closely with the Principal Investigator (Prof. Dr. Rachael Garrett) and co-investigator (Dr. Janina Grabs) in the EPL research group, as well as with our project partners at the Agricultural University Bogor, in designing the sampling and data collection protocols, implementing the data collection and analysis, and producing academic and practitioner-focused outputs.