Exploring corporate visions of sustainability for European food system transitions
- Beschreibung
In this project, you will explore how private sector actors in Europe frame their roles in transforming food systems towards sustainability. The aim is to investigate how companies—ranging from innovative start-ups to established agri-food businesses—publicly position themselves in relation to sustainability goals. Students will identify a sample of companies across Europe using targeted online searches, industry databases, and sustainability networks. Using publicly available materials such as mission and vision statements, strategy documents, and sustainability reports, students will conduct a qualitative thematic analysis to identify recurring themes, narratives, and framings. The project will conclude with a critical synthesis of how private sector discourse reflects broader visions of food system sustainability.
The specific focus of the analysis can be shaped by students' interests and may explore questions such as:
- How do companies balance economic, environmental, and social goals in their sustainability narratives?
- Are certain aspects of sustainability (e.g., climate action, social equity, profitability) prioritized over others in corporate discourse?
- How do start-ups and established companies differ in how they communicate sustainability?
- Which parts of the food system are most prominently addressed in private sector sustainability initiatives, and which are overlooked?
- What types of solutions do companies propose for food system transformation—are they mainly technological, social, governance-related, or rooted in other approaches?
Why is this topic important? Food systems are closely linked to many major sustainability challenges such as climate change, biodiversity loss, resource degradation, and social inequality. Tackling these problems requires not only changes in production and consumption, but also transforming the roles and responsibilities of different actors within food systems. The private sector—through its influence over markets, supply chains, and innovation—plays a central role in shaping the direction of change. By examining how companies perceive and communicate their contributions to sustainability, this project offers insight into the potential role of the private sector in sustainability transitions.
- Beschreibung des interdisziplinären Teils des Projekts
- Students will be required to apply social science approaches (e.g., qualitative thematic analysis, discourse analysis) to understand corporate strategy and innovation. At the same time, students will build an understanding of the broader social and biophysical processes in food systems, including aspects of agronomy, farming practices, and the environmental challenges that shape sustainable food production.
- Projektzeitraum
- Sommersemester 2025
- Bewerbungszeitraum
- 01. bis 13.04.2025
- Durchführung
- semesterbegleitend
- Details zu Projektzeitraum und Durchführung
The project is designed to be carried out over one semester and is divided into the following phases. The timing of the phases is flexible, so can be catered to student availability.
- Conception: development of research questions, creation of a conceptual framework, and an analysis plan
- Research: identification of relevant companies in Europe and collection of materials (for example, websites, sustainability reports, strategy documents)
- Coding: systematic classification and coding of companies’ perspectives on sustainability and transformation
- Analysis and synthesis: evaluation of the coded data, identification of patterns and differences, and discussion of the results within the project team
- End: written presentation of the results and creation of a poster to present the key findings
Implementation is supported by regular meetings to discuss project progress and provide methodological guidance.
- Studienfach
- offen für alle Studienfächer
- Betreuende
- Dr. Timothy Williams
- Institut
- Institut für Agrarpolitik und Landwirtschaftliche Marktlehre (420) (Ökonomisch-ökologische Politikmodellierung (420d))
- Sprache
- englisch
- Teilnehmendenanzahl
- min. 1, max. 4
- Arbeitsaufwand
-
ca. 120 Stunden pro Teilnehmende:r
| 4
ECTS-Punkte
Arbeitsaufwand (Stunden und ggf. ECTS) sind ungefähre Angaben. Die tatsächlich vergebenen ECTS-Punkte ergeben sich aus der tatsächlich geleisteten Arbeit.
- Für dieses Projekt ist kein Motivationsschreiben des Studierenden erforderlich
- Projektart
- empirisch
- Lernziele
-
Die Teilnehmende lernen in diesem Projekt:
- Design a data collection protocol to address given research questions
- Apply systematic methods to identify and collect qualitative data
- Analyse and evaluate textual materials based on a conceptual framework
- Interpret findings in the context of sustainability and food system transformation
- Present and communicate scientific findings in written and visual form (poster)
- Collaborate in a team to carry out a structured, independent research project
- Anmerkungen für Studierende
The project will be primarily supervised in English, though some use of German is possible.
It is suited for students who are passionate about sustainability in food systems and interested in working with a mix of qualitative and (light) quantitative methods.
- Schlagworte
- Datenanalyse (deskriptive Auswertung, Nachhaltigkeit