This research examined how international mineral due diligence regulations affect the structure and governance of mining supply chains in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. This research assessed how regulatory frameworks developed by the United States, European Union, and China influence sourcing relationships, market access, traceability, and transparency across the sector. The analysis also considered local economic and conflict effects, including how compliance requirements can redirect trade, alter participation in formal and informal markets, and shift risk across communities and supply chain actors. Combining geospatial analysis and comparative policy analysis, the project evaluated weaknesses in existing due diligence systems and potential adaptation strategies to mitigate risk. The research was submitted to the London School of Economics and Political Science.
This multi-country research examined how Chinese-owned mining enclaves and their associated supply chains affect conflict dynamics in copper-producing regions central to the global energy transition. I conducted ethnographic fieldwork and site visits in Afghanistan, Peru, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, engaging mining companies, community leaders, government officials, and other local actors to trace how copper extraction connects to transport corridors and export systems. The study analyzed how enclave-based production shapes environmental pressures, economic participation, relationships between companies and surrounding communities, and the distribution of authority and risk along the supply chain. It also explored how conflict can emerge, shift, or be contained at different nodes, including mine sites, neighboring communities, transport routes, and border crossings. The research was with the Cross-Border Conflict Evidence, Policy and Trends program project on “Climate Change, Mitigation, and Peace” and presented in UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office-funded workshops.
This project examined how the spatial organization of Afghanistan’s gemstone trade could be improved through more accessible and transparent market infrastructure. In Kabul, I consulted with officials from the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum and researchers at Kabul University to assemble information on gemstone production, geological resources, trade routes, and existing market activity. I combined these inputs with GIS-based spatial analysis to assess potential municipal-level purchase and auction locations and the trade-offs associated with different site placements. The analysis considered how formal market points could improve producer access, strengthen traceability, and create clearer points of oversight within fragmented supply chains.
This research examined Venezuela’s re-entry into transnational extraction after a prolonged period of economic contraction, sanctions, institutional deterioration, and reduced participation by international firms. The analysis traced changes in the country’s resource-governance model and evaluated how legal, political, and commercial constraints shape the prospects for renewed international participation in the oil sector. It focused on the relationship between state control, investment conditions, regulatory reform, and the institutional requirements for re-engaging global markets. The project used political-economy and policy analysis to identify the reforms and governance challenges associated with market re-entry while considering the risks facing both the Venezuelan state and international companies. The research is currently under peer review.
This research investigated whether variation in mobile network access changes which conflict events become visible in widely used datasets on political violence. I constructed a spatial dataset for the Democratic Republic of the Congo and applied a spatial regression discontinuity design to compare conflict reporting across areas with differing levels of mobile connectivity. The study focused on a measurement problem with broader implications for conflict research and policy: observed patterns of violence may partly reflect where information can be transmitted rather than only where violence occurs. The project combined geospatial data assembly, causal inference, spatial analysis, and conflict-event data. The research is currently under peer review.
This project examined Ukraine’s introduction of minimum export price policies for grain during the wartime and its implications for agricultural trade, market transparency, and (future) European Union integration. In Kyiv, I met with officials from the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine to understand the rationale, implementation, and practical effects of the pricing framework in an economy heavily dependent on agricultural production and grain exports. The analysis combined stakeholder interviews, regulatory review, and market-impact modeling to assess how the policy could affect export competitiveness, coordination across the grain supply chain, data collection, and enforcement. It also considered the sector’s longer-term rehabilitation and financing needs after the war. The final policy analysis was submitted to the Ministry with recommendations for adjusting the framework to improve transparency and address potential compatibility concerns under Article 35 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union ahead of accession negotiations, beginning in 2026.
This project addressed fragmented information and coordination across agricultural supply chains by developing CropConex, a digital platform for commodity trading, traceability, contracting, logistics, and communication. I led the company from product design through implementation, working with producers, exporters, buyers, logistics providers, financial institutions, and government counterparts to translate real-world trade, banking, licensing, and compliance requirements into shared digital workflows. The system was designed to replace disconnected processes conducted through spreadsheets, email, PDFs, and paper documents with a common infrastructure that improved visibility across organizations. During its operation, the platform digitized commodity trade and contract records, shortened logistics timelines, expanded market participation, and improved coordination across the supply chain.
This project supported the development of Ethiopia’s regulatory framework for e-commerce and the digitization of agricultural supply chains following the country’s transition from more state-controlled commodity marketing toward liberalized market systems with “direct contracts” under Proclamation No. 1051/2017. Over the course of a year in Ethiopia, I worked with the Ministry of Trade, Ministry of Agriculture, and Ministry of Innovation and Technology to identify legal and institutional barriers limiting digital commerce in the coffee sector. The research combined analysis of commercial licensing, banking rules, customs procedures, export requirements, and electronic transactions with interviews across the supply chain, including the National Bank of Ethiopia, customs authorities, exporters, producers, and farmers. I assessed gaps in the existing framework and developed recommendations for the legal classifications and digital infrastructure required to support domestic and international agricultural trade. The policy proposals were subsequently adopted and incorporated in 2023.
This project supported the development of a digital market platform for the National Federation of Coffee Growers of Colombia, with support from USAID, to connect coffee producers from historically conflict-affected regions with new buyers. The initiative focused on communities transitioning from coca cultivation to coffee production following the 2016 peace accords, many of whom faced limited market visibility and significant barriers to entering formal international trade. I advised on the design and development of the auction platform, with an emphasis on improving price transparency, presenting credible information about unfamiliar sellers, and reducing the risks buyers associated with purchasing from new producer groups. The auctions featured more than 30 micro-lots from Cauca and achieved prices several times above prevailing commodity-market rates. Once developed, the platform was transferred to Colombian partners so they could independently operate future auctions and continue expanding market access.
This project supported the development of small-scale coffee-processing infrastructure as part of a USAID-funded effort to strengthen Ethiopia’s specialty coffee sector and expand opportunities for farmer groups participating in more liberalized markets. The initiative invested in micro mills that enabled producer organizations to process specialty-grade lots closer to the point of production, creating opportunities for improved quality control, product differentiation, and traceability to specific communities. I contributed to implementation across data management, procurement, site design, construction, and training, working with project partners and coffee producer groups to translate program objectives into functioning local infrastructure. By enabling more processing and quality management at origin, the investments were designed to strengthen producer market position and increase the value retained within participating farming communities.
This project examined how coffee quality was measured and translated into market prices within Ethiopia’s domestic and export systems. Working with the Ethiopian Commodities Exchange and USAID, I reviewed quality-evaluation procedures at storage facilities and laboratories and assessed how grading criteria aligned with commodity pricing and export requirements. The analysis focused on gaps between physical quality assessment, storage practices, price formation, and the information available to market participants. By comparing the systems used to evaluate coffee with the mechanisms used to determine value, I identified areas where inconsistent criteria or fragmented information could weaken transparency and producer valuation. The project produced recommendations to better align domestic and export pricing criteria and strengthen the connection between measurable quality attributes and market outcomes.
This project examined how the structure of the coffee value chain affects women’s ability to participate in formal trade and capture value beyond agricultural production. Women producers often faced barriers to formal financing as well as limited access to training and educational resources, particularly in remote areas. The initiative brought together women-owned and women-operated businesses across multiple stages of the supply chain, including producers, exporters, buyers, roasters, and packaging partners, to create direct commercial relationships and a more visible women-led trading network. I supported the design and coordination of the market model, partnership development, and linkages between participants across the chain. By intentionally connecting women to downstream commercial activities where a larger share of value is often captured, the project demonstrated how trade design can influence both economic participation and value distribution.