Project coordinator and partner Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Ljubljana (prof. dr. Tomaž Deželan), BUNA, Cooperative for Development and Education

Activities: Students will analyze the coffee value chain, compare conventional, fair trade, and cooperative models, and assess their social impact. They will research legislation, certification systems, and the role of consumers, businesses, and policymakers. They will record their findings in the form of research drafts and summarize them in policy briefs, which will be published. The main findings will be compiled into recommendations for companies and legislators. The aim of the project is to raise awareness of the (public) policy challenges of fair trade, greenwashing, and the role of policy in shaping ethical supply chains, which will benefit organizations such as Zadruga BUNA, z.o.o., and in which areas it needs to change or upgrade its communication or operations in order to bring its activities closer to market expectations and increase its opportunities for expansion.

Students will have the opportunity to:

• analyze public policies in the field of fair trade,
• research global political aspects of the coffee trade,
• study the Cooperative BUNA as an example of a company that incorporates a fair trade system into its operations,
• conduct field research on ethical supply chains,
• work in small groups or pairs to develop proposals for development solutions at the level of public policy and advocacy,
• prepare research drafts and policy briefs,
• create an awareness-raising poster.

Project duration: 
- till end of August 2025

Scope of anticipated student activities:
- up to 40 hours per month (adjusted to student availability)

Student activities are remunerated.

Upon completion, students receive a certificate of completed teaching and research activities.

Interested candidates should send their application with a short description (CV, a few sentences about themselves) by May 28, 2025, to tomaz.dezelan@fdv.uni-lj.si do 28. 5. 2025 na e-naslov tomaz.dezelan@fdv.uni-lj.si

Up to 9 candidates will be selected.