Perception of cocoa farmers to voluntary standard certification: An implication on Cocoa Transformation in Nigeria

Abstract

The study examined the perception and socio-economic variables of farmers about cocoa certification in some selected States in Nigeria. Purposive sampling technique was used to select 80 farmers in Cross River and Osun States due to their exposure to cocoa certification. Structured interview schedule was used to collect field data. Descriptive statistics and correlation were used for analyses. Majority (87.5%) were aware of voluntary standard cocoa certification notably Rainforest Alliance and UTZ. However, 32.5% of the farmers claimed to have received certification training from some exporters who used UTZ label. Many of the farmers (67.5%) believed that the Cocoa Transformation Agenda (CocTA) of Government will encourage them to practice certification. More farmers (52.5%) had low perception towards cocoa certification. Results revealed that socio-economic characteristics: age (-0.37), farming experience (-0.31), farm size (0.36) and yield (0.24) at probability < 0.05 had significant influence on the perception of farmers. From the study, socio- economic variables had reasonable influence on farmers' perception of cocoa certification. It implies that these are relevant factors which CocTA and other stakeholders can explore to ensure sustainable cocoa production. Training of more farmers on cocoa certification in the study areas is advocated to consolidate their knowledge and practice.