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Sustainability discourse and its impact on effectiveness of cocoa certification in Ghana

Hudson, Sarah Jenny LU (2021) SGED10 20211
Human Geography
Department of Human Geography
Abstract
This dissertation explores the sustainability discourse of the Rainforest Alliance operating in Ghana’s cocoa sector. With a heavy emphasis on the environmental pillar of sustainable development, this study applies a critical approach to discourse to analyze the publicly available documents related to the Rainforest Alliance’s agricultural certification program. Documents pertaining to the concept of sustainable agriculture and the challenges of moving cocoa production towards more sustainable development were qualitatively analyzed. Using a theoretical framework of sustainability and environmental governance, it highlights the different narratives used by the Rainforest Alliance to communicate the details of their certification program.... (More)
This dissertation explores the sustainability discourse of the Rainforest Alliance operating in Ghana’s cocoa sector. With a heavy emphasis on the environmental pillar of sustainable development, this study applies a critical approach to discourse to analyze the publicly available documents related to the Rainforest Alliance’s agricultural certification program. Documents pertaining to the concept of sustainable agriculture and the challenges of moving cocoa production towards more sustainable development were qualitatively analyzed. Using a theoretical framework of sustainability and environmental governance, it highlights the different narratives used by the Rainforest Alliance to communicate the details of their certification program. It is apparent that ecological modernization, green governmentality, and civic environmentalism are present and overlapping, however ecological modernization is the dominant discourse. Ultimately it is concluded that discourse may, indeed, play a role in determining the effectiveness of their sustainable cocoa certification program. To the extent that the Rainforest Alliance maintains a mainstream approach to sustainability, the organization remains the most widely used certification program in Ghana’s cocoa sector. (Less)
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author
Hudson, Sarah Jenny LU
supervisor
organization
course
SGED10 20211
year
type
M2 - Bachelor Degree
subject
keywords
sustainable agriculture, cocoa, Ghana, discourse, Rainforest Alliance
language
English
id
9063490
date added to LUP
2021-09-16 11:37:43
date last changed
2021-09-16 11:37:43
@misc{9063490,
  abstract     = {{This dissertation explores the sustainability discourse of the Rainforest Alliance operating in Ghana’s cocoa sector. With a heavy emphasis on the environmental pillar of sustainable development, this study applies a critical approach to discourse to analyze the publicly available documents related to the Rainforest Alliance’s agricultural certification program. Documents pertaining to the concept of sustainable agriculture and the challenges of moving cocoa production towards more sustainable development were qualitatively analyzed. Using a theoretical framework of sustainability and environmental governance, it highlights the different narratives used by the Rainforest Alliance to communicate the details of their certification program. It is apparent that ecological modernization, green governmentality, and civic environmentalism are present and overlapping, however ecological modernization is the dominant discourse. Ultimately it is concluded that discourse may, indeed, play a role in determining the effectiveness of their sustainable cocoa certification program. To the extent that the Rainforest Alliance maintains a mainstream approach to sustainability, the organization remains the most widely used certification program in Ghana’s cocoa sector.}},
  author       = {{Hudson, Sarah Jenny}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Sustainability discourse and its impact on effectiveness of cocoa certification in Ghana}},
  year         = {{2021}},
}