Within the EU-funded Trade4Sustainable Development (TRADE4SD) project, this study examines trade and sustainability linkages under Ghana's Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) and Vietnam's EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA). Using a multi-country and multi-crop approach, the effects of trade on sustainability are assessed across five value chains - cocoa and cashew in Ghana, and rice, tea and dragon fruit in Vietnam - and the key issues they face are mapped to the relevant Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The case studies are analysed through desk research, interviews and questionnaires conducted with local stakeholders, including policymakers and farmers. Key insights for each value chain are reported, and outcomes are compared in terms of government support, value chain structures and socio-economic and environmental issues shaping trade-sustainability linkages. Finally, common and country-specific policy recommendations are presented, covering issues linked to the three pillars of sustainability and accounting for local challenges and needs. Dans le cadre du projet TRADE4SD (Commerce pour le d & eacute;veloppement durable), financ & eacute; par l'Union europ & eacute;enne (UE), cette & eacute;tude examine les liens entre commerce et durabilit & eacute; dans le cadre de l'Accord de partenariat & eacute;conomique (APE) avec le Ghana et de l'Accord de libre-& eacute;change UE-Vietnam (ALE UE-Vietnam). Adoptant une approche multinationale et multiculturelle, elle & eacute;value les effets du commerce sur la durabilit & eacute; & agrave; travers cinq cha & icirc;nes de valeur: le cacao et la noix de cajou au Ghana, et le riz, le th & eacute; et le fruit du dragon au Vietnam. Les principaux enjeux auxquels ces cha & icirc;nes sont confront & eacute;es sont mis en correspondance avec les Objectifs de d & eacute;veloppement durable (ODD) pertinents. Les & eacute;tudes de cas sont analys & eacute;es au moyen de recherches documentaires, d'entretiens et de questionnaires men & eacute;s aupr & egrave;s des acteurs locaux, notamment les d & eacute;cideurs de l'action publique et les agriculteurs. Les principaux enseignements pour chaque cha & icirc;ne de valeur sont pr & eacute;sent & eacute;s, et les r & eacute;sultats sont compar & eacute;s en termes de soutien public, de structures des cha & icirc;nes de valeur et d'enjeux socio-& eacute;conomiques et environnementaux qui influencent les liens entre commerce et durabilit & eacute;. Enfin, des recommandations en termes d'action, communes et sp & eacute;cifiques & agrave; chaque pays, sont formul & eacute;es, couvrant les enjeux li & eacute;s aux trois piliers de la durabilit & eacute; et tenant compte des d & eacute;fis et des besoins locaux. Im Rahmen des von der EU finanzierten Projekts Trade4Sustainable Development (TRADE4SD) waren in dieser Studie die Zusammenh & auml;nge zwischen Handel und Nachhaltigkeit im Kontext des Wirtschaftspartnerschaftsabkommens (WPA) mit Ghana und des Freihandelsabkommens zwischen der EU und Vietnam (EVFTA) untersucht. Unter Verwendung eines l & auml;nder- und kulturen & uuml;bergreifenden Ansatzes werden die Auswirkungen des Handels auf die Nachhaltigkeit in f & uuml;nf Wertsch & ouml;pfungsketten bewertet: Kakao und Cashewn & uuml;sse in Ghana sowie Reis, Tee und Drachenfr & uuml;chte in Vietnam. Die wichtigsten Herausforderungen, denen sie gegen & uuml;berstehen, werden den entsprechenden globalen Zielen f & uuml;r nachhaltige Entwicklung (SDGs) zugeordnet. Die Fallstudien werden anhand von Sekund & auml;rrecherchen, Interviews und Frageb & ouml;gen analysiert, die mit lokalen Interessengruppen, darunter politische Entscheidungstr & auml;gerinnen und -tr & auml;ger und Landwirte und Landwirtinnen, durchgef & uuml;hrt wurden. F & uuml;r jede Wertsch & ouml;pfungskette werden wichtige Ergebnisse dargestellt und hinsichtlich staatlicher Unterst & uuml;tzung, Wertsch & ouml;pfungskettenstrukturen sowie sozio & ouml;konomischer und & ouml;kologischer Aspekte verglichen. Abschlie ss end werden allgemeine und l & auml;nderspezifische politische Empfehlungen vorgestellt, die Themen im Zusammenhang mit den drei S & auml;ulen der Nachhaltigkeit abdecken und lokale Herausforderungen und Bed & uuml;rfnisse ber & uuml;cksichtigen.

This Evidence and Gap Map (EGM) protocol aims to systematically identify, map, and synthesize the existing evidence on supply-side interventions that strengthen agent networks and merchant payment systems for advancing financial inclusion in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Specifically, the EGM will: (1) identify clusters of evidence that present opportunities for further evidence synthesis, including systematic reviews, and (2) highlight critical evidence gaps where additional primary research and evaluations are needed. By organizing evidence across intervention types, outcome domains, and study designs, the EGM will provide a comprehensive and accessible overview of what is known about the development of agent networks and merchant payment ecosystems. The findings will support evidence-informed decision-making by policymakers, regulators, funders, and practitioners seeking to strengthen inclusive and resilient digital financial service delivery systems in LMICs.

This study examines the bi-causal relationship between inclusive finance and banking sector stability in Africa. The study employs the two-step system GMM and the Dumitrescu and Hurlin (2012) Granger Non-Causality Test on annual data of 41 African countries over the period, 2004-2022. The results show that banking stability Granger-causes inclusive finance and vice versa. Thus, past values of stability influences inclusive finance and vice versa, thereby suggesting a bidirectional relationship between them. This offers basis for novel contribution to theory development on the bi-causal relationship between inclusion and stability. Policy makers should design policies that promote inclusion and safeguard stability.

The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated vulnerabilities among marginalised populations worldwide, particularlyin urban settings. Grounded in crisis and vulnerability theories and frameworks, the paper explores how systemic inequalities and public health shocks heightened food insecurity and induced diverse coping strategies among internal migrants in Accra. Using a survey of 100 migrants from Old Fadama and Agbogbloshie as well as interviews with four migrants and an assemblyman, this paper analyses food security trends across three time periods: pre-COVID, during COVID and post-COVID, allowing for a comparative analysis of food security across these phases. The study finds that the economic disruptions caused by COVID-19 disproportionately affected these migrants, leading to a range of coping strategies including reducing meal portions, purchasing food on credit, and relying on less expensive foods. While food security showed slight improvement post-pandemic, it remained belowpre-COVID-19 levels. The study underscores the inadequacy of formal social protection programmes and, in some cases, the structural exclusion of migrants from these interventions, further deepening their vulnerability. By combining a three-period application of the USDA 18-item scale with qualitative interviews among internal migrants in two slum communities in Accra, the study advances understanding of food security among this group in urban Ghana. It reveals how changes in food security are linked to coping strategies and barriers to formal support, thereby informing the design of crisis-responsive social protection programmes that target migrants' specific needs in the city.

Household energy transitions to cleaner fuels remain a major challenge in developing countries, which have low adoption rates of modern energy sources. This study investigated the long-run effects of a clean energy transition policy, focusing on a liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) promotion program in Ghana. We conducted household surveys in Ghana during 2020 and 2023, corresponding to 3 and 6 years after the end of the program, and collected longitudinal data from 1632 households (905 in 2020 and 727 in 2023). Our analyses show a shortterm boost in LPG adoption among intervention households that received LPG cylinders from the program. Using a household fixed-effects approach, we find that, 6 years later, non-intervention households in the program community with children aged under 5 years increased their LPG adoption by 34.5 % relative to households without children, despite not having received direct support from the program. Further analysis reveals that the extension of LPG usage was limited to households with at least one peer in their social network who was an LPG user as well as the perception of LPG as a safe energy source for health. The findings suggest that energy transition can be promoted cost-effectively by incorporating the roles of social networks and information sharing, provided that fundamental infrastructure for LPG provision has been established.

This study is a structured review on the interlinkages between agri‐food trade and the SDGs in the environmental, social and economic dimensions to identify any missed opportunities that agri‐food trade could positively impact the SDGs and provide policy guidance for the missed opportunities at the global, regional and national levels. A great deal of diversity in the papers at the global level, and papers at the regional level are similar, but there is additional analysis on promoting regional markets and value chains. Papers at the local level are product‐specific to emphasise how the trade of specific agricultural commodities would affect the achievement of particular SDGs in question. There is a concern regarding whether agri‐food trade can promote sustainability and the attainment of the SDGs. This is particularly important given that gains from trade are not entirely equitable. Questions relating to concrete innovations, policies and behavioural changes that can ensure systemic transformations remain critical and need to be addressed.

Expanding access to financial services has been linked with improvement in welfare outcomes and has been touted as a tool for achieving sustainable development. Recent literature also links access to financial services to financial health and the achievement of personal goals. This study provides evidence to support a strong link between financial inclusion and the financial health of individuals, making several contributions to the literature. First, we use a nationally representative dataset to demonstrate the link between financial inclusion and financial health. Second, we employ the recursive bivariate Probit estimation technique to deal with the possible endogeneity that may emanate from unobserved heterogeneity and reverse causality. Third, we assess the impact of the diverse use of financial services—insurance, savings and credit— and the pathways from financial inclusion to financial health. Our results show that the usage of insurance, formal credit, as well as formal and informal savings, enhances the financial health of Ghanaians. We also find that using a variety of financial services significantly improves individuals' financial health. In addition, we adequately discuss the pathways from financial inclusion to financial health. Based on these findings, we make recommendations for policy and practice.

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This paper examined the effect of Ghana's Electronic Transaction Levy (E-Levy), introduced in May 2022, on retail digital financial services, focusing on mobile money agents and small non-bank financial institutions. Drawing on data from 2,908 urban-based micro-enterprises across Ghana, we analyzed how the levy affected business operations, turnover, client base, and financial inclusion outcomes. The findings demonstrate an immediate and substantial decline in both mobile money usage and average turnover following the levy's imposition, with the most pronounced effects among low-income individuals, small businesses, and vulnerable groups. Despite a partial rebound in transaction volumes and turnover by early 2023, the recovery remained uneven; many enterprises, especially female-owned and those in specific regions, continued to face challenges. The study also documents widespread adoption of avoidance strategies by businesses and consumers to minimize exposure to the levy, alongside operational difficulties such as network failures and e-float management. Insights from key informant interviews reinforce these trends. The research underscores the need for regular policy review, increased exemption thresholds, improved public education, and targeted support for vulnerable groups to achieve a balance between revenue mobilization and digital financial sector growth, offering relevant lessons for other countries considering similar levies.