RTG 2654: Sustainable Food Systems

Name
Marlene Yu Lilin Wätzold

Current Position
Postdoctoral researcher at the Center for Development Research (ZEF), University of Bonn within the Cluster of Excellence "Phenorob"

Field of Research at the RTG 2654:
Doctoral Researcher, University of Göttingen, RTG 2654 Sustainable Food Systems, Subproject A2 How sustainable are sustainability standards? (Prof. Wollni)

Research Interests
Digitization in agriculture
Voluntary sustainability standards
Climate change adaptation
Cash crop value chains
Socioeconomic- ecological trade-offs

Education


  • Ph.D in Sustainable Food Systems (2026), University of Göttingen, Germany
    • Thesis title: Voluntary Sustainability Standards, Agroforestry and Sustainable Outcomes in the Tropical Cash Crop Sector
  • M.Sc. Sustainable International Agriculture (2021), University of Göttingen, Germany
    • Thesis Title: Understanding why Farmers do not Convert to Organic Farming: An Application of the Reversed Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology
  • B.Sc. International Business in Emerging Markets (2018), University of Maastricht, The Netherlands
    • Thesis Title: Indonesian Domestic Workers in Singapore: Analyzing Socio-Economic Characteristics that Influence Remittance Spending



Professional Experience


  • Student Tutor for the Master’s Program “Sustainable International Agriculture”, University of Göttingen (06.2020-08.2021)
  • Internship at Henkel Singapore - Finance and Controlling (01-05.2018)
  • Internship at Ostmost Berlin - Organic Juice and Cider Producer (03-09.2019)



Publications


  • Wätzold, M. Y. L., Krumbiegel, K., Tillie, P., & Wollni, M. (2026) Agroforestry as a climate change adaptation strategy: Evidence from Ghana's cocoa sector. Agricultural Systems, 231, 104519. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agsy.2025.104519
  • Wätzold, M. Y. L., Abdulai, I., Cooke, A., Krumbiegel, K., Ocampo-Ariza, C., Wenzel, A., & Wollni, M. (2025). Do voluntary sustainability standards improve socioeconomic and ecological outcomes? Evidence from Ghana's cocoa sector. Ecological Economics, 229, 108474. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2024.108474
  • Wollni, M., Bohn, S., Ocampo‐Ariza, C., Paz, B., Santalucia, S., Squarcina, M., Umarishavu, F. & Wätzold, M. Y. L. (2024). Sustainability Standards in Agri‐Food Value Chains: Impacts and Trade‐Offs for Smallholder Farmers. Agricultural Economics, e70005. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1111/agec.70005