Global Value Chains have helped make the world more prosperous. Making them more efficient will make the global economy more resilient to future shocks.

Manufacturing has traditionally driven economic growth in developing countries. A new book by the World Bank highlights the potential of the service sector in driving development. What are the implications of this shift for least developed countries? 

The multilateral trading system and the body of trade rules enshrined in the World Trade Organization (WTO) rulebook have been the cornerstone for trade-led economic development in recent decades.

Recovery taking a different shape than expected 

Multinationals and governments need to recognize the trade world’s interconnectedness, and its impact

Originally published on World Economic Forum on 19th January 2021 as part of the 

The combined and cumulative effect of pre-existing technological, policy and sustainability trends and the current COVID crisis is set to strike a perfect storm in the system of international production and GVCs.

The COVID-19 pandemic is a testament to the global value chain (GVC) world we live in; what happens in one country has profound impacts, intended and unintended, across countries.

Medicine retail and logistics in Africa are a highly fragmented business.

Multiple sourcing and proximity sourcing are shaping into long-term trends as global firms hardwire resilience and agility into their supply chains.

New paper looks at the supply chain dimension of African trade during and post-COVID

Women workers in global value chains have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19.

The collapse in trade provoked by the coronavirus pandemic has exposed the fragility of carefully constructed supply chains in the global fashion industry, and the asymmetries with which they are governed.

How to ensure the women who collect shea benefit from being part of the global marketplace

The world is changing, and so should our support to the world’s poorest countries

Supply chains are vulnerable, but there is also promise in new sectors for least developed countries

Following research into the mukula value chain, recommendations to preserve livelihoods and landscapes

Poverty, inequality and exclusion are key factors contributing to the devastating effects of COVID-19 on all African countries.

Least developed countries (LDCs) confront a challenging global trade landscape, from slower long-term growth rates and rising protectionism to a weakening nexus between trade and GDP growth.

A conversation with Richard Baldwin