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Overview

Eine Person steht nachdenklich vor einem Supermarktregal
© Gina Sanders - stock.adobe.com

Our research in the Thünen topic of "Markets, Trade and Certification" is broadly diversified. The activities can be grouped as follows:

  • Markets: food markets; timber markets; bioeconomy.

  • Trade and trade policy: impact of global trade; international trade policy.

  • Certification, control and information systems: Thünen Centre of Competence on the Origin of Timber; identification of  fish species; sustainability certification; sustainability module milk.

 

All content

Zwei Holzmuster des Thünen-Instituts
Control of internationally traded wood and wood products

The marketing of wood and wood products from illegal sources has been prohibited in the EU since March 2013. With procedures for proof of species and origin, it is possible to verify beyond doubt whether the woods are correctly declared and of legal ...

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Das Bild zeigt glühende Holzbriketts in einer Grillschale.
Charcoal: What are we barbecuing with?

In recent years, scientists at the Thünen Centre of Competence have examined the composition and declarations of around 450 charcoal and briquette assortments. With surprising results.

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Ein Smartphone mit der CITES-Wood-ID-App wird vor einen Stamm Palisanderholz gehalten.
CITESwoodID and macroHOLZdata

Two tools for the determination of woods are now also available as apps for smartphones and tablets

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Verschiedene Landwirtschaftsmaschinen vor mehreren Getreidespeichern
How the war in Ukraine may affect agricultural, fisheries and timber markets

Russia's war against Ukraine has implications for the global food and commodity supply situation. In the following, we have outlined possible effects on agricultural markets, fisheries and timber markets.

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Geerntetes Getreide wird umgeladen
Wheat, maize & Co: It's getting more expensive

Russia and Ukraine are global players in agricultural products such as wheat, maize and oilseeds. Export stops and price increases can lead to disruptions, especially in the countries of the global south.

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Fischtrawler vor der russischen Halbinsel Kamtschatka
Is a fish finger crisis looming?

Russia is the fourth largest producer of marine fish in the world. The significance of Russian marine fish imports for Germany is highlighted here.

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Blick auf ein Sägewerk mit Holzstämmen
Effects on forest products markets

Russia and Ukraine play different roles on the international timber markets. For Germany, they are important suppliers of raw wood, sawn timber, plywood or even wood pellets.

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Landschaft bei Feliz Natal im Bundesstaat Mato Grosso in der zentralwestlichen Region Brasiliens
Sustainability certification of soy: The Round Table on Responsible Soy

The enormous increase in the land under soy cultivation contributes significantly to the destruction of tropical forests. Can sustainability standards like the RTRS help to change this?

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Ferkel in der ökologischen Schweinehaltung in Trenthorst
Sustainability certification of meat: The Animal Welfare Initiative

Farm animal husbandry is increasingly criticised in Germany. The focus is primarily on pig and poultry farming. In terms of content, the criticism is directed in particular at the insufficient space available for the animals. With the ITW label, the ...

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Tracking down the species and origin of wood with genetic methods

When it comes to distinguishing between anatomically similar wood species or making statements about the origin of certain woods, genetic studies are the method of choice. This requires reference samples of woods whose species and origin have been ...

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Das Bild zeigt die verschiedensten Nachhaltigkeitssiegel und Produktzertifizierungen
Sustainability standards and certification systems

Product packaging is colourful: there is a multitude of sustainability labels. For consumers, this landscape of seals is primarily confusing. What lies behind the seals of approval and the associated certification systems.

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Fischdosen mit Thunfisch, Makrele und Hering mit verschiedenen Nachhaltigkeitssiegeln
Sustainability certification of fisheries products: Are all eco-labels on the same quality level?

Anyone who values sustainably caught fish when shopping has to look very carefully: There are now a large number of sustainability seals - with great differences in claim and credibility. The GSSI seal check can provide orientation here.

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Collage of four pictures: Oil palms, clear-cut areas, overseas trade and coffee fruits..
New EU regulation for deforestation-free products replaces EUTR

The new EU regulation to curb trade in products linked to deforestation, forest degradation and illegality (in short: EUDR) was adopted in May 2023 and has to be implemented from December 30, 2024.

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Parts of a USA and an EU flag and a prohibition sign with the inscription Straf Zölle.
US customs policy: This is how important the US market is for Germany

The US is one of Germany's and the EU's most important trading partners. The US president's current tariff policy affects individual industries differently. Scientists at the Thünen Institute have analysed the effects on economic goods that are the ...

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A wooden stamp with the inscription Export, Import, Logistics.
Less USA, more EU - German agricultural trade takes place primarily on the domestic market

US President Donald Trump complains that the trade balances between the USA and the EU are not even. The Thünen Institute for Market Analysis has therefore taken a closer look at agricultural trade. Who imports or exports which products and in which ...

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On one pallet is written in capital letters in English: 2025 US Duties Influence.
Sawnwood and paper are sought-after export goods

The planned US tariffs on imported products will presumably also affect products made from wood that come from the EU or Germany. How intensive is the timber trade between the USA and Germany and how strongly would Germany's wood industry be affected ...

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Fishing boat in a harbour in Norway in the foreground a fish box with cod.
EU counter-tariffs would hit the fishing industry hard

Germany exports a lot of processed salmon from aquaculture to the USA. Nevertheless, punitive tariffs would be less severe than expected counter-tariffs from the EU. This is because imports of white fish (especially Alaskan pollack) and wild salmon ...

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Chart on the tariff dispute
Analysis of the trade conflict and initial assessment of the possible consequences

Using a model-based approach, the Thünen Institute has analysed possible economic effects of the current trade conflict between the USA, Europe, and Germany in three different scenarios. The findings in detail.

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Eine Balkenwaage auf der einen Seite Geld in Scheinen und Münzen, auf der anderen Seite Tiere und Getreide.
From farm to shopping basket: how food prices are determined

Food is becoming more expensive, but agriculture is under pressure. Many therefore suspect that retailers are exploiting their market power. Thünen monitoring shows that the main drivers are rising costs in production and trade. Our FAQ explains what ...

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Two images side by side, the left image showed a satellite image with forests and fields, the right side a map coloured in different colours.
Remote sensing supports deforestation control

The EUDR obliges companies to report the precise geocoordinates of their production sites. This information forms the basis for effectively monitoring deforestation and forest degradation using modern remote sensing technologies.

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