Risk analysis including stakeholder consultation in the coffee value chain (Uganda-Belgium)

Oxfam Wereldwinkels (OWW), since 2020 an integral part of Oxfam België (OBE), has been working on the topic of Business and Human Rights and specifically on Human Rights and Environmental Due Diligence (HREDD) since 2019. As part of this work, OBE is applying HREDD in the coffee value chain of our own Fair Trade cooperative, Oxfam Fair Trade (OFT). Building on the previously taken steps of value chain mapping and exploratory risk scoping, we now envision a more in-depth appraisal of the human rights and environmental risks in the upstream segment of the OFT coffee value chain in Uganda.

A primary set of research objectives relates to the direct use of the research results in OBE’s work on HREDD. At this level, the research is in essence a light human rights impact assessment and should 1) map salient human rights and environmental risks in the first upstream segments of the Ugandan coffee value chain, caused by, contributed to by or directly linked to OFT’s (omission of) actions, and recommend possible solutions; 2) provide insights to inform the improvement of OFT’s existing risk-management systems and the development of an HREDD approach for OFT; 3) provide experience-based insights into conditions, barriers, and approaches for meaningful stakeholder engagement in HREDD, that can inform our practice and policy recommendations on that topic.

A secondary set of objectives is related to the contribution of this research to our understanding of the complex relations between trade policy and market, agro-food value chains, investments and governance arrangements with respect to sustainable development impacts in different contexts. As part of MATS (see 1.3.2), the case study insights should contribute to two meta-questions 1) how do trade regimes (such as sustainability standards like HREDD), local/national legislation, and investments into the value chains influence the human rights and environmental risks in the value chain?; 2) how can a positive impact of food trade regime on sustainable development and human rights be fostered in this case?

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 without 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