Sustainable Supply Chains in a Fragmented World Economy

Participating in global supply chains brings huge development opportunities to poorer countries, but it is also often associated with precarious working conditions, pollution, and unequal power relations. How can global supply chains become more inclusive and sustainable? Explore our research on global supply chains vis-à-vis the Global South. 

The Globalisation and Development Research Programme studies the economic and political foundations of inclusive and sustainable development in a globalised world economy under geopolitical tensions. We engage in policy analysis to co-create and identify solutions for sustainable development.

Large-scale land acquisitions in palm oil, rubber, and sugarcane supply chains pose human rights and deforestation risks. Currently, weak land governance, poor traceability, and shifting trade patterns undermine stringent due diligence processes.

Latin America has emerged as a strategic partner for the EU in its efforts to diversify imports of critical raw materials with a view to safeguarding the energy transition, mitigating supply chain vulnerabilities, and reducing structural dependencies in the digital, defence, and aerospace sectors.

Escalating trade costs, driven by new tariff regimes, COVID-19, wars, and sustainability laws disrupt global supply chains and trade-led development. The 2025 US tariffs hit industrializing nations unevenly. Case studies show that export diversity boosts resilience and trade diversion gains.

This line graph shows coca cultivation trends in Colombia, Peru, and Bolivia from 2000 to 2023. Using UNODC’s Illicit Crop Monitoring Programme (ICMP) data, it tracks total hectares of coca bush cultivated annually, highlighting long-term shifts across the three countries.

Zum siebten Mal findet der EU-Afrika Gipfel in Luanda statt. Die EU war mal wichtigster Handelspartner für Afrika, mittlerweile liegt China vorn. Über die Partnerschaft zwischen der EU und Afrika spricht hr-INFO mit Prof. Dr. Jann Lay.

How can we balance economic development opportunities with fair labour conditions and environmental responsibility in global supply chains? Join us and our international guests on the occasion of the Hamburg Sustainability Conference to explore the key dilemmas and solutions for more sustainable trade. 

Participating in global supply chains brings huge development opportunities to poorer countries, but it is also often associated with precarious working conditions, pollution, and unequal power relations. How can global supply chains become more inclusive and sustainable? Explore our research on global supply chains vis-à-vis the Global South. 

The Globalisation and Development Research Programme studies the economic and political foundations of inclusive and sustainable development in a globalised world economy under geopolitical tensions. We engage in policy analysis to co-create and identify solutions for sustainable development.

Large-scale land acquisitions in palm oil, rubber, and sugarcane supply chains pose human rights and deforestation risks. Currently, weak land governance, poor traceability, and shifting trade patterns undermine stringent due diligence processes.