Professor Perez-Aleman awarded 2020-2021 SSHRC Partnership Engage Grant

Paola Perez-Aleman, Associate Professor of Strategy & Organization, awarded 2020-2021 SSHRC Partnership Engage Grant

“Sustainability of Developing Countries' Small and Medium Enterprises in Agricultural Global Value Chains Affected by COVID-19”

The sustainability of millions of agricultural small and medium enterprises (SMEs) involved in global value chains (GVCs) is central for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals in developing countries. SMEs supplying globally traded commodities face many challenges to transition to sustainable production. With the COVID-19 pandemic, estimates indicate more than 70 million people could fall into extreme poverty in developing countries, many employed in rural SMEs. Agricultural SMEs confront demand shocks, health restrictions, higher uncertainty, price instability, and reduced incomes due to the pandemic. SMEs’ ability to make progress is intricately connected to the growth of impact financing that supports investments for creating new socially and environmentally sustainable products. The processes of how impact financing supports the strategies for increasing sustainability of SMEs operating in GVCs affected by the pandemic are not well understood. This research project will examine how the configuration of finance and GVCs continue to improve the sustainability of SMEs in Latin America and Africa, and support future growth of sustainable markets post-COVID 19. It aims to produce new knowledge that informs future strategies to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

Supported in part by funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council.

En partie financé par le Conseil de recherches en sciences humaines.