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| Author | Kristy Leissle |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Polity |
Publication date | 2018 |
| ISBN | 978-1-509-51316-1 |
Cocoa is a 2018 book by Kristy Leissle, a lecturer in global studies at the University of Washington Bothell. [1]
Contents
The book covers cocoa's history, as well as contemporary production, economics, politics, trade, consumption and geography. [2] In Cocoa, Leissle is critical of issues around cocoa including labor exploitation (both within and outside of Africa), [3] gender inequalities, the fairness of 'fair trade', [2] market concentration and ignorance regarding Africa's role in cocoa production. [4] She is, however, optimistic for a future where farmers are valued. [2] She argues for the environmental and financial benefits of farmers growing flavor cocoa, while saying this production will not grow to a large scale. [5]
Multiple reviewers commented on the how concise the book was, [3] [1] to the point where James Field, writing in the magazine Geographical said it became dense at times, although this was balanced well by anecdotes. [2] In his review, Field credited Leissle for recognizing her privileged position in discussing the topic. [2]