Guest speaker: Prof. Dr. Janina Grabs

Prof. Dr. Janina Grabs is a professor of sustainability research at the University of Basel, where she heads the Department of Sustainability Research. She also is a member of the advisory board of the Go-Chains research cluster.

Her research focuses on transnational sustainability governance in global value chains, particularly for tropical agricultural commodities such as coffee and palm oil. She also examines the opportunities available to states, companies, NGOs, and other actors to improve the environmental and social sustainability of commodity production.

After studying political science and obtaining a doctorate at the University of Münster, Prof. Dr. Janina Grabs has researched and taught at ETH Zurich, Yale University, and ESADE Business School in Barcelona. Among other things, she addresses questions such as: Who defines and controls what sustainability means in the market? What types of regulatory and enforcement mechanisms are in place to govern these processes, and how effective are they in bringing about change? And do they provide the right incentives for market participants, especially those in the Global South, to comply?

Her work has received numerous awards, including the Academy of Management's ONE Book Award and APSA's 2022 Lynton Keith Caldwell Award. Her current research interests include the implementation of zero deforestation commitments in the palm oil sector, the role of trading companies as actors in sustainability governance, and the paradoxes of climate-friendly coffee production.

We are delighted to welcome Prof. Dr. Janina Grabs as a guest speaker to the Go-Chains network and look forward to her insights!