Kyle Murphy & Rocco Macciavello | Re:co 2020

Many of us in coffee innovate in an attempt to improve the livelihoods of coffee producers: from Direct Trade to social programs, from certifications to traceability. But how do we know if these innovations work? In this talk, Rocco and Kyle explore new tools that development economists are using to measure the effectiveness of well-intentioned interventions, including supply side interventions that could potentially improve supply chain performance and ultimately raise small holders incomes.
The talk draws on Rocco extensive, quantitative, research on coffee. It will first discuss why quality price premia along the chain are often not transmitted up to farmers and how buyer-driven programs, vertical restraints and blockchain-based solutions can ameliorate this. It will then discuss how digital platform can potentially transform what farmers are selling to consumers in destination markets. Along the way, Rocco will explore learning & experimentation opportunities.
Learn more about how these tools work, and how they can be used in coffee.
About the Presenters
Rocco Macciavello, Associate Professor in Management
London School of Economics and Political Science
Rocco Macchiavello’s passion is to understand markets and firms in developing countries - so that better interventions can be designed to share the gains from trade with farmers and workers in those countries. Much of his research focuses on the coffee value chain and on industrial relations in emerging markets. Rocco holds a PhD in Economics from the London School of Economics and Political Science, where is currently an Associate Professor in Management. Previously, he was a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow at Nuffield College, Oxford University, and at the Harvard Kennedy School, and Professor at Warwick University. Rocco acts as IGC Lead Academic (Myanmar), is a Research Fellow at BREAD, CEPR, IPA, J-PAL and ERC Grant recipient. Rocco has conducted extensive field work in several countries, including Bangladesh, Colombia, Kenya, India, Myanmar and Rwanda partnering up with government agencies, private firms and international organizations.
Kyle Murphy, Senior Policy Manager
Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL)
Kyle Murphy is a Senior Policy Manager at the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL), a global research center headquartered at MIT working to reduce poverty by ensuring that policy is informed by scientific evidence. Kyle manages J-PAL's agriculture sector, and shares lessons on what works with foundations, NGOs, governments, and others and helps them integrate rigorous evidence into their program and policy processes. He has served as a member of World Coffee Research's Scientific Advisory Committee and worked as agricultural extensionist and volunteer coordinator with the United States Peace Corps in Nicaragua.