The Economics of Chocolate

This book, written by global experts, provides a comprehensive and topical analysis on the economics of chocolate. While the main approach is economic analysis, there are important contributions from other disciplines, including psychology, history, government, nutrition, and geography. The chapters are organized around several themes, including the history of cocoa and chocolate -- from cocoa drinks in the Maya empire to the growing sales of Belgian chocolates in China; how governments have used cocoa and chocolate as a source of tax revenue and have regulated chocolate (and defined it by law) to protect consumers' health from fraud and industries from competition; how the poor cocoa producers in developing countries are linked through trade and multinational companies with rich consumers in industrialized countries; and how the rise of consumption in emerging markets (China, India, and Africa) is causing a major boom in global demand and prices, and a potential shortage of the world's chocolate. Contributors to this volume - Filip Abraham, KU Leuven Heike C. Alberts, University of Minnesota Catherine Araujo-Bonjean, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique Stephanie Barrientos, University of Manchester Seneshaw Tamru, University of Leuven Jean-Francois Brun, University of Auvergne Sabrina Bruyneel, University of Leuven Saule Burkitbayeva, University of Leuven Julie L. Cidell, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Siegfried Dewitte, University of Leuven William Gervase Clarence-Smith, SOAS, University of London Koen Deconinck, University of Leuven Li Fan, University of Leuven Niels Fold, University of Copenhagen Ingrid Fromm, Bern University of Applied Sciences Maria Garrone, University of Leuven Christopher L. Gilbert, Johns Hopkins University Monika Hartmann, University of Bonn Emma Janssen, University of Leuven Nina Langen, University of Bonn Anna Laven, Royal Tropical Institute Giulia Meloni, University of Leuven Di Mo, Stanford University and University of Leuven Stefania Moramarco, Tor Vergata University Sander Muilerman, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture Jeff Neilson, University of Sydney Loreto Nemi, dietitician and nutritionist Hannah Pieters, University of Leuven Eline Poelmans, University of Leuven Olivia Riera, University of Leuven Scott Rozelle, Stanford University Mara P. Squicciarini, University of Leuven Zuzanna Studnicka, University of Leuven Johan Swinnen, University of Leuven Giel Ton, LEI Wageningen UR Jan Van Hove, University of Leuven Jana Vandoren, European Investment Bank Sietze Vellema, Wageningen University Pieter Vlaeminck, University of Leuven Liesbet Vranken, University of Leuven Linxiu Zhang, Chinese Academy of Sciences