Godfred Adduow Obeng, PhD, is a scholar and educator in Development Studies, specializing in governance and policy analysis, organic agriculture, and biodiversity conservation. He currently teaches as a part-time teacher and postdoctoral researcher at the University of Jyväskylä, where he facilitates interdisciplinary learning in current trends in global development policy. As a recent graduate of the University of Jyväskylä, his doctoral research, titled "Organic cocoa governance and its implication on sustainable production: a case analysis of Ghana and Ivory Coast," explores the governance of organic cocoa production and sustainability under the European Union regulatory framework.
My research focuses on the governance of sustainability transitions in agriculture and natural resource–dependent sectors in the Global South. I particularly pay attention to biodiversity conservation and environmental sustainability. I explore how policies, institutions, and market-based governance arrangements, such as certification schemes, standards, and public regulatory frameworks, shape production practices, ecological outcomes, and livelihood inclusion in global value chains. Building on my background in organic cocoa governance, my work engages more broadly with questions of multilevel governance, policy adoption, and the interaction between global sustainability agendas and local production systems. I am especially interested in how governance designs influence biodiversity-friendly practices, environmental stewardship, and smallholder participation in export-oriented agricultural sectors. Conceptually, my research draws on governance theory, political economy, and development studies, with attention to power relations, institutional coordination, and ecological outcomes. My research aims to inform more inclusive, effective, and context-sensitive approaches to environmental sustainability and biodiversity governance.
