“Investing in the chocolate production process for domestic consumption in the countries where cacao is harvested can create quality jobs.”
Research focus: value chain of cocoa production, building entrepreneurial capacity in cocoa producing countries, consumer culture around chocolate
Margot Leger started her PhD at the Utrecht University School of Economics (U.S.E.) in September 2017. She graduated from Oxford with an MSc. in African Studies and from Harvard with a B.A. in History and Literature. Her multidisciplinary background has seen her travel throughout the South Pacific, Africa and Europe, working on multimedia projects for various development organizations, research groups and companies.
Leger's research looks at social entrepreneurial processes and innovation in value chains, with special focus on agri commodities in Sub-Saharan Africa. It all starts with creating better opportunities for those at the end of the production chain. To do this, it is natural for her to place the profits in the cocoa chain closer to the production sites. "My work is to provide support in building a culture of consumption around chocolate and to show the different ways people can earn an income from this." Slowly but surely, local businesses are beginning to emerge. The innovations are helping to expand the domestic market for chocolate and make local entrepreneurs less dependent on the big chocolate brands.
Areas of interest:
- Value chain of the cocoa market
- Creation of locally high-value jobs
- Responsible entrepreneurship within the chocolate production process