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Bradford research led to the development of the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) model which fed into the formulation of international policy tools: namely the Principles for Responsible Agricultural Investment (PRAI) and the Indicators for Measuring and Maximizing Economic Value Added and Job Creation from Private Investment in Specific Value Chains (IMMEV). PRAI was adopted by the Group of 20 (G20) Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors in 2010 and is currently in use to determine relevant national policies aiming to attract investment in agriculture, in Africa and South East Asia. IMMEV is used to support the Development Pillar of G20 and its use is currently implemented in six countries (Bangladesh, Cambodia, Dominican Republic, Laos, Mongolia and Mozambique).
Research by the University of Huddersfield is making a major contribution to maintaining the tropical forests of south-west Ethiopia and improving the livelihoods of those who rely on them. By identifying effective arrangements for sustainable resource management and small-scale business development, the research has led to increased production, enhanced links with national and international markets and developed new institutions, as well as leading to revised legislation. Over 105,000 hectares of degrading forest are being transformed into a working and profitable resource and 18 new enterprises now serve around 100,000 people. In total, an estimated fifteen million people benefit from new rules supporting forest enterprise development.
Fieldwork commissioned by Cadbury/Kraft, undertaken at the University of Manchester (UoM), and carried out in Ghana, the Dominican Republic and India (2006-11), considers whether small scale farmers and workers have the social and economic capacity to sustain and expand their output of quality cocoa. The research has been instrumental in shifting the strategies of Cadbury and other major chocolate producers towards the sourcing of Fairtrade cocoa. Specific impacts include: the launch of the £45m Cadbury Cocoa Partnership (CCP); Cadbury/Kraft converting its main product lines to certified Fairtrade; and the launch of the (US$400m) `Cocoa Life' programme by Mondelēz/Kraft, building on the success of CCP. Spill-over impacts are also evident: both Nestlé and Mars have adopted similar partnership strategies, and a subsequent increase in exposure has seen Fairtrade chocolate sales rise twelvefold over a four year period.
As a result of Edinburgh Napier University's contribution to the `Strategic Integrated Research in Timber' network, the UK forest industries (from tree breeders to timber engineers) and policy makers are much better informed about the key characteristics of UK-grown timber (particularly the principal commercial species, Sitka spruce) and how these characteristics are influenced by tree growth, silviculture and processing decisions.
Information has been provided to support: improved grading of timber; segregation of logs and trees for optimal conversion; refocusing the UK tree breeding programme for future wood quality; improvement of European Standards for timber grading; and improved perception of UK-grown timber for construction use. These combine to produce impact through reduced wastage (material and energy) and creation of wider markets for UK-grown timber.