Governance of the value chain is the subject of this PhD. project. It looks at the power relationships between the actors along the value chain and how these relationships influence access to benefits
Governance encompasses both state/government regulations and market governance. Regarding state regulations, I am trying to understand how various actors interact with the regulations and how the regulations affect their income. Regarding market governance, the structure of the market and how it affects the actors is explored, explains Respikius Martin of his PhD study.
- The central point for both cases is the issue of power relationships among and between actors. Mapping power relationships along the value chain helps to categorize actors according to their power and how power is used. It is acknowledged that power asymmetry along the chain does not foster equitable distribution of benefits. Therefore, the exercise of power mapping is important for the identification of leverage points for intervention, says Respikius Martin.
Respikius Martin is a PhD student at Sokoine University of Agriculture and the University of Copenhagen and his studies is sponsored by the Timber Rush Project, run by the universities of Sokoine and Copenhagen and the Danish Institute of International Studies.
