Welcome to my website!

About me

I am an assistant professor in agricultural economics and food policy in the Earth and Life Institute at the University of Louvain, Belgium. I chair the Agrifood Economics Group and teach various courses in economics at the faculty of Bio-Science Engineers. I have an interdisciplinary background with a master degree in Bio-Science Engineering and a PhD in agricultural economics from the University of Leuven. Prior to joining the University of Louvain, I was a visiting researcher at Wageningen University, University of Göttingen and the World Bank. I am a senior editor for the journal of Food Security since 2021, and was on the board of AgEconMeet from 2021 until 2023.  

My research

My and my group's research focuses on the transformation towards sustainable, healthy and inclusive food systems. Our research is grounded in agricultural and food economics, with frequent collaboration across disciplines. We focus on three main themes: adoption of agricultural practices, monitoring and certification, and global and local food value chains. We examine a wide range of agrifood system actors, including farmers, farm workers, traders, certification bodies and consumers. Where relevant, we integrate perspectives from minorities, with particular attention to gender, youth and migrants.    

We use quantitative data from our own collected surveys and existing databases, as well as qualitative data from semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions. We apply various research methods, including econometric impact evaluations, design and analysis of choice experiments, value chain analysis, and content and thematic analysis. Geographically, we focus on both the global North (mainly Belgium and other European countries) and the global South (primarily African countries).   

Publications

2025

• Van den Broeck, G. The future of food security: three main avenues for research on trade in food systems. Food Security. (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12571-025-01572-2

• Enthoven, L., Van Duy, L., Van den Broeck, G., 2025. Certification in local food value chains: panel data evidence from the vegetable sector in Vietnam. Food Security. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12571-025-01562-4. 

• Dekegel, S., Van den Broeck, G., Oliveira, L., De Vleeschouwer, K., 2025. How many shade trees are enough? Identifying the threshold for golden-headed lion tamarin presence in cocoa agroforests of Southern Bahia, Brazil. Biological Conservation, 309, 111325, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111325. 

• Renier, C., Addoah, T., Guye, V., Garrett, R. D., Van den Broeck, G., zu Ermgassen, E. K. H. J., & Meyfroidt, P. (2025). Direct and indirect deforestation for cocoa in the tropical moist forests of Ghana. Environmental Research: Food Systems, 2, 025006, https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/2976-601X/add01b/meta. 

• Van den Broeck, G., & Akaribo, F. N. (2025). Is Cocoa Production a Main Driver of Children’s Work in Ghana?. The Journal of Development Studies, 61(1), 102-117, https://doi.org/10.1080/00220388.2024.2401416. 

2024

• Van Hoyweghen, K., Van den Broeck, G., & Maertens, M. (2024). Intrahousehold Decision Making and Fertility Choices in Rural Senegal and Uganda. Feminist Economics, 1-38, https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13545701.2024.2413370. 

2023

• Van Hoyweghen, K., Bemelmans, J., Feyaerts, H., Van den Broeck, G., & Maertens, M. (2023). Small Family, Happy Family? Fertility Preferences and the Quantity–Quality Trade-Off in Sub-Saharan Africa. Population Research and Policy Review, 42(6), 85, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11113-023-09828-5.

• Enthoven, L., & Van den Broeck, G. (2023). How to boost the local trade of participatory guarantee system (PGS)-certified produce? A value chain perspective in Huánuco, Peru. Ecological Economics, 212, 107929, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2023.107929. 

• Van den Broeck, G., Kilic, T., & Pieters, J. (2023). Structural transformation and the gender pay gap in Sub-Saharan Africa. Plos one, 18(4), e0278188, https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0278188. 

• Van Der Cam, A., Adant, I., & Van den Broeck, G. (2023). The social acceptability of a personal carbon allowance: a discrete choice experiment in Belgium. Climate Policy, 1-13, doi.org/10.1080/14693062.2023.2183176.

• Enthoven, L., Skambracks, M., Van den Broeck, G. (2023). Improving the design of local short food supply chains: Farmers’ views in Wallonia, Belgium. Journal of Rural Studies, 97, 573-582, doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2023.01.016.

2022

• Kilic, T., Van den Broeck, G., Koolwal, G., & Moylan, H. (2022). Are You Being Asked? Impacts of Respondent Selection on Measuring Employment in Malawi. Journal of African Economies, https://doi.org/10.1093/jae/ejac025.

• Lizin, S., Rousseau, S., Kessels, R., Meulders, M., Pepermans, G., Speelman, S., Vandebroek, M., Van den Broeck, G., Van Loo, E.J., & Verbeke, W. (2022). The State of the Art of Discrete Choice Experiments in Food Research. Food Quality and Preference, 102, 104678, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodqual.2022.104678.

• Duluins, O.,  Riera, A., Schuster, M., Baret, P.V., & Van den Broeck, G. (2022). Economic implications of a protein transition: Evidence from Walloon beef and dairy farms. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems,  doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2022.803872.

• Savary, S., Waddington, S., Akter, S., Almekinders, C. J., Harris, J., Korsten, L., Rötter, R.P., & Van den Broeck, G. (2022). Revisiting food security in 2021: an overview of the past year. Food Security, 1-7, doi.org/10.1007/s12571-022-01266-z. 

• Fabry, A., Van den Broeck, G., & Maertens, M. (2022). Gender inequality and job satisfaction in Senegal: A multiple mediation model. Journal of Happiness Studies, 1-21, doi.org/10.1007/s10902-022-00498-2. 

• Fabry, A., Van den Broeck, G., & Maertens, M. (2022). Decent work in global food value chains: Evidence from Senegal. World Development, 152, 105790, doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2021.105790.

2021

• Enthoven, L., & Van den Broeck, G. (2021). Local food systems: Reviewing two decades of research. Agricultural Systems, 193, 103226, doi.org/10.1016/j.agsy.2021.103226. 

• Enthoven, L., & Van den Broeck, G. (2021). Promoting Food Safety in Local Value Chains: The Case of Vegetables in Vietnam. Sustainability, 13(12), 6902, doi.org/10.3390/su13126902.

• Van den Broeck, G., Mardulier, M., & Maertens, M. (2021). All that is gold does not glitter: Income and nutrition in Tanzania. Food Policy, 99, 101975, doi.org/10.1016/j.foodpol.2020.101975.

2020

• Van Hoyweghen, K., Van den Broeck, G., & Maertens, M. (2020). Employment dynamics and linkages in the rural economy: Insights from Senegal. Journal of Agricultural Economics, 71(3), 904-928, doi.org/10.1111/1477-9552.12387.

• Feyaerts, H., Van den Broeck, G., Maertens, M. (2020). Global and local food value chains in Africa: A review. Agricultural Economics, 51(1), 143-157, DOI: 10.1111/agec.12546.

• Van den Broeck, G. (2020). Women’s employment and family planning in rural Uganda. Women & Health, doi: 10.1080/03630242.2019.1671948.

2019

• Van den Broeck G., Kilic T. (2019). Dynamics of off-farm employment in Sub-Saharan Africa: A gender perspective. World Development, 119, 81-99. doi: 10.1016/j.worlddev.2019.03.008.

• Geussens K., Van den Broeck G., Vanderhaegen K., Verbist B., Maertens M. (2019). Farmers' perspectives on payments for ecosystem services in Uganda. Land Use Policy, 84, 316-327. doi: 10.1016/j.landusepol.2019.03.020

• Janssens C., Van den Broeck G., Maertens M., Lambrecht I. (2019). What if mothers are entrepreneurs? Non-farm businesses and child schooling in rural Ghana. Journal of Rural Studies, 66, 95-103. doi: 10.1016/j.jrurstud.2019.01.004.

2018

• Van den Broeck G., Van Hoyweghen K., Maertens M. (2018). Horticultural exports and food security in Senegal. Global Food Security, 17, 162-171. doi: 10.1016/j.gfs.2017.12.002.

• Gamboa C., Van den Broeck G., Maertens M. (2018). Smallholders’ Preferences for Improved Quinoa Varieties in the Peruvian Andes. Sustainability, 10 (10), 3735-3735. doi: 10.3390/su10103735.

• Dalemans F., Muys B., Verwimp A., Van den Broeck G., Bohra B., Sharma N., Gowda B., Tollens E., Maertens M. (2018). Redesigning oilseed tree biofuel systems in India. Energy Policy, 115, 631-643. doi: 10.1016/j.enpol.2018.01.030.

2017

• Van den Broeck G., Maertens M. (2017). Moving Up or Moving Out? Insights into Rural Development and Poverty Reduction in Senegal. World Development, 99, 95-109. doi: 10.1016/j.worlddev.2017.07.009.

• Van den Broeck G., Vlaeminck P., Raymaekers K., Vande Velde K., Vranken L., Maertens M. (2017). Rice farmers' preferences for fairtrade contracting in Benin: Evidence from a discrete choice experiment. Journal of Cleaner Production, 165, 846-854. doi: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2017.07.128.

• Van den Broeck G., Maertens M. (2017). Does Off-farm Employment Make Women in Rural Senegal Happy?. Feminist Economics, 23 (4), 250-275. doi: 10.1080/13545701.2017.1338834.

• Van den Broeck G., Swinnen J., Maertens M. (2017). Global Value Chains, Large-scale Farming and poverty: Long-term evidence from Senegal. Food Policy, 66, 97-107. doi: 10.1016/j.foodpol.2016.12.003.

2016 -

• Van den Broeck G., Maertens M. (2016). Horticultural exports and food security in developing countries. Global Food Security, 10, 11-20. doi: 10.1016/j.gfs.2016.07.007.

• Van den Broeck G., Van Hoyweghen K., Maertens M. (2016). Employment Conditions in the Senegalese Horticultural Export Industry: A Worker Perspective. Development Policy Review, 34 (2), 301-319, doi: 10.1111/dpr.12153.

• Van den Broeck G., Maertens M. (2015). Female Employment Reduces Fertility in Rural Senegal. PLoS One, 10 (3), 1-15. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0122086.

• Van den Broeck G., Romero Perez Grovas R., Maertens M., Deckers S., Verhulst N., Govaerts B. (2013). Adoption of conservation agriculture in the Mexican Bajio. Outlook on Agriculture, 42 (3), 171-178. doi: 10.5367/oa.2013.0136.