Social Entrepreneurship in the cocoa industry in West Africa: A human-centered perspective on labor issues

This dissertation examines the role of social entrepreneurship in creating social value in international value chains. The research focuses specifically on addressing labor issues in the cocoa value chain in West Africa and the influence of local communities in creating (social) value. Through qualitative case studies and fieldwork in Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana, the complexity surrounding labor issues is highlighted and a local perspective is offered on issues of child labor and (social) interventions in international value chains. Various theoretical perspectives are used to explore the above issues. The Global Value Chain (GVC) perspective describes farmers and children as production factors, and child labor as a negative externality of low income. The Sustainable livelihood Approach (SLA) provides a local perspective and describes farmers and children as family and community members. Work on cocoa farms is part of a wide range of activities based on rural upbringing, with advantages and disadvantages. A broader lack of access to capitals plays a role in child labor. Alternative livelihood and development opportunities for children are a more fruitful discussion than the absence/presence of child labor. This thesis furthermore identifies a process of community bricolage—the influence of local community dynamics in creating (social) value and exchanging livelihood resources, through norms and values that apply in the different communities. Finally, this thesis evaluates social value creation and labor issues through a capability lens, in which freedom and individual human choice are central. This perspective distinguishes between structures that create or block freedoms, and the ultimate evaluation of what is valuable to an individual. This leads to the identification of different roles that social entrepreneurship can have regarding social value creation in international value chains: (1) Facilitating global discourses on child labor. This includes the integration of local perspectives and values, with a focus on children's well-being and children's developmental opportunities (2) Participation in value chains by changing structures, creating opportunities, and removing barriers for other actors (e.g. farmers) to create value and generate a living income (3) Mobilizing stakeholders within and outside value chains to address labor challenges and facilitate social change and access to resources (4) Navigating and facilitating the co-creation of social value by other active actors in the value chain, including communities, farmers, and children themselves (5) Assessing existing institutions (including international treaties, resolutions, and other forms of (soft) legislation) and renegotiating them to include all value systems of the parties involved