Rethinking sustainability in cocoa supply chain in light of SDG disclosure

Abstract Purpose: This paper aims to assess how cocoa supply chain companies disclose sustainable development goals (SDGs) information in their sustainability reports. This assessment highlights strategic aspects of sustainable supply chain management and reveals leveraging sustainability points in the cocoa industry. Design/methodology/approach: The two-step qualitative approach relies on text-mining company reports and subsequent content analysis that identifies the topics disclosed and relates them to SDG targets. Findings: This study distinguishes 18 SDG targets connected to cocoa traders and 30 SDG targets to chocolate manufacturers. The following topics represent the main nexuses of connections: decent labour promotion and gender equity (social), empowering local communities and supply chain monitoring (economic) and agroforestry and climate action (environmental). Practical implications: By highlighting the interconnections between the SDGs targeted by companies in the cocoa supply chain, this paper sheds light on the strategic SDGs for this industry and their relationships, which can help to improve sustainability disclosure and transparency. One interesting input for companies is the improvement of climate crisis prevention, focusing on non-renewable sources minimisation, carbon footprint and clear indicators of ecologic materiality. Social implications: This study contributes to policymakers to enhance governance and accountability of global supply chains that are submitted to different regulation regimes. Originality/value: To the best of the authors’ knowledge, no previous study has framed the cocoa industry from a broader SDG perspective. The interconnections identified reveal the key goals of the cocoa supply chain and point to strategic sustainability choices for companies in an important global industry

A research data management (RDM) community for ELIXIR

Research data management (RDM) is central to the implementation of the FAIR (Findable Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) and Open Science principles. Recognising the importance of RDM, ELIXIR Platforms and Nodes have invested in RDM and launched various projects and initiatives to ensure good data management practices for scientific excellence. These projects have resulted in a rich set of tools and resources highly valuable for FAIR data management. However, these resources remain scattered across projects and ELIXIR structures, making their dissemination and application challenging. Therefore, it becomes imminent to coordinate these efforts for sustainable and harmonised RDM practices with dedicated forums for RDM professionals to exchange knowledge and share resources.The proposed ELIXIR RDM Community will bring together RDM experts to develop ELIXIR’s vision and coordinate its activities, taking advantage of the available assets. It aims to coordinate RDM best practices and illustrate how to use the existing ELIXIR RDM services. The Community will be built around three integral pillars, namely, a network of RDM professionals, RDM knowledge management and RDM training expertise and resources. It will also engage with external stakeholders to leverage benefits and provide a forum to RDM professionals for regular knowledge exchange, capacity building and development of harmonised RDM practices, keeping in line with the overall scope of the RDM Community.In the short term, the Community aims to build upon the existing resources and ensure that the content of these remain up to date and fit for purpose. In the long run, the Community will aim to strengthen the skills and knowledge of its RDM professionals to support the emerging needs of the scientific community. The Community will also devise an effective strategy to engage with other ELIXIR structures and international stakeholders to influence and align with developments and solutions in the RDM field