Project properties

Title The emergence of the Trade & Aid paradigm: more effective food security interventions?
Group Public Administration and Policy
Project type thesis
Credits 33-39
Supervisor(s) Dr. Jeroen Candel
Examiner(s) Prof. Dr. Katrien Termeer (PAP)
Contact info jeroen.candel@wur.nl
Begin date 2017/02/01
End date
Description Dutch development cooperation efforts have shifted from a traditional focus on ‘traditional’ development assistance and humanitarian aid towards an increased emphasis on ‘Trade and Aid’ under the last governments. The Trade and Aid paradigm builds on the assumption that combining aid and trade may result in new synergies and as such create added value to both partner countries and Dutch stakeholders. More concretely, apart from achieving sustainable development, development cooperation now explicitly also aims to ensure success for Dutch companies abroad.

The shift towards Trade and Aid has not been without controversy. Whereas proponents argue that mobilizing Dutch businesses’ knowledge and resources may result in a win-win, many development actors have remained unconvinced. The goal of this MSc research project is to explore these tensions within the development community and/or to study how concrete Trade and Aid cases work out on the ground in developing countries. The consequent insights obtained by the project will further insights into the politics of development policy and/or the effectiveness of specific types of interventions. We are mainly interested in how Trade and Aid works out for food security commitments, but students may choose to focus on other development objectives.

Region: Netherlands and/or developing countries
Used skills Qualitative research methods
Requirements We look for one or more highly ambitious student(s), who is/are capable of working autonomously, has/have affinity with both development cooperation and governance debates, and has/have experience with using qualitative research methods. Students are expected to further develop the above in a stand-alone research proposal. Students who choose to conduct research in developing countries are expected to be comfortable with working under tougher working conditions.