Invitation to quote: analysis of cocoa and chocolate purchasing practices that could undermine living incomes for cocoa farmers (West-Africa – Belgium)

Invitation to quote: analysis of cocoa and chocolate purchasing practices that could undermine living incomes for cocoa farmers (West-Africa – Belgium)

 

0. Introduction

Oxfam Wereldwinkels (hereafter OWW), a non-governmental organisation for humanitarian assistance and development aid, launches an Invitation to Quote (IQ) under Making Agricultral Trade Sustainable (MATS, INTCE 205) for a critical analysis of purchasing practices of cocoa and chocolate that could undermine living incomes for cocoa farmers.

 

The quote must arrive at latest on April 10th, midnight CET and stay valid until May 10th, midnight CET.

 

The Invitation to Quote (IQ) is structured as follows

1. Terms of reference
2. Submission procedure
3. Decision procedure

 

Your quote could form the basis for a contract between your company and OBE. However, this invitation to quote does not oblige OBE to proceed with the actual act of purchasing. No compensation can be claimed in case of non-acceptance of a quote or non-award of a contract.

Oxfam General Purchase Conditions apply to all Oxfam purchases. If there is an inconsistency between any of the provisions of these Conditions and a particular provision in the IQ or a contract then the provision in the IQ or the contract will prevail.

 

1. Terms of reference
   1. General information

General information
Institution	Oxfam Wereldwinkels (OWW)
Tentative title	ANALYSIS OF COCOA AND CHOCOLATE PURCHASING PRACTICES THAT ARE UNDERMINING LIVING INCOMES FOR COCOA FARMERS
Budget	30.000 €
Period	April - September 2023

 

Oxfam Wereldwinkels (OWW), since 2020 an integral part of Oxfam België (OBE), has been advocating for a sustainable cocoa/chocolate sector for several decades. Since 2010 we are co-publishing the bi-annual Cocoa Barometer and we are one of the founding members of the VOICE-Network, the main CSO-advocacy network in the cocoa sector. The rights of farmers and small farmer organizations are central to our approach. Therefore we advocate for the human right of a living income to be protected and respected for all farming families.

 

In recent years there has been a lot of movement around the topic of living income, with statements from CSO’s, governments, knowledge institutions as well as companies. Governments are looking for ways to legislate the protection of a living income while companies look at the concept mostly from a CSR perspective. This approach is mostly disconnected from their business model as a whole. Despite the fact that prices are an essential element of the living income equation, they are mostly overlooked as part of the living income strategies.

 

1. 2. Objectives

With this study we would like to get a better understanding of the actions that companies (willingly and unwillingly) are doing that are keeping cocoa prices down and therefore potentially harming the right to a living income for cocoa farmers. This better understanding should help policymakers to create adequate rules that push companies to respect the right to a living income through their business models as a whole.

 

From these learnings, we would like to make recommendations to:

• Businesses: to shift to a business model that contributes to their living income commitments
• Legislators: to change the trade rules and to create a level playing field for living income conform pricing models
• Governments and cooperatives in exporting countries: How to increase their negotiating power and raise prices for farmers

 

1. 1. Requested profile

The consultant(s) should have strong data analysis and research skills, excellent economic knowledge and experience in commodity markets. Strong background in EU frameworks.

• PhD or Masters degree in an area relevant to the assignment.
• Strong background in trade and policy analysis
• At least 3 years’ experience in one of the following policy fields: Commodity trade, Cocoa trade, EU trade policy
• Demonstrated analysis, synthesis and writing capacity in English.
• Ability write for policy makers and the wider public.
• Professional knowledge of French is an asset

 

1. 2. Deliverables

The study will be presented and discussed with members of civil society in producing countries (such as Plateforme Ivoirienne pour le Cacao Durable and Ghana Civil Society Platform – GCCP) as well as in consuming countries (such as VOICE-network).

 

The authors will participate in a meeting with the authors of the other MATS study mentioned above.

 

The study will produce a visualisation of the links and impact pathways to help clarify the interrelationships.

 

Deliverables will have to fit the requirements of MATS project (template under development), and OBE quality standards.

• A research/case study report of 30-50 pages, in line with OBE quality standards and where possible aligned with the requirements of MATS (template under development, preliminary section headings see annex 3).
• Visualization of key insights on how change is believed to happen in this coffee value chain (ToC).
• Access to any used data sets if these are freely accessible or otherwise produced under this agreement, with all steps of calculations shown.
• Data on the number of informants/interviewees involved, including dates of participation in the research, disaggregated at minimum by gender & age, and where possible without compromising anonymity in case this was requested: nationality, ethnicity, disability, legal status, etc. The consultant must provide Oxfam, upon request, access to the preparatory materials for interviews and focus groups (questionnaires, topic lists) and,where possible withour compromising requested anonymity, the recording of these events.
• Data collected on 15 SDG-related indicators, to be determined by the consultant and Oxfam.
• Timesheet for reporting requirements within MATS

 

1. 3. Calendar

The research should be conducted between April 2023 and September 2023, taking into account the harvesting period in the selected location as the ideal timing for field research. The deadline for the draft report is August 20, 2023. The deadline for the final report is September 15, 2023.