The Implementation of Certification Standards and Challenges faced by Smallholder Cocoa Farmers in Osun state Nigeria

Abstract

Cocoa is the back bone of the agricultural economy in Nigeria. The Agricultural Transformation Agenda is set to make the sector more economically viable by increasing the productivity of cocoa farmers. But certain production standards must be met in a bid to produce cocoa that would be acceptable in the export market. This study examined the degree of implementation of standards set by certifying organizations. The study was carried out in Osun State. A multi-stage sampling procedure was used to select 150 cocoa farmers who were interviewed using a structured questionnaire. The data collected wasclassified through a hierarchical clustering technique to give two clusters- The Older, Experienced with Large family size (OELs) and the Younger, Less experienced with Small family size (YLes); a comparative analysis was then carried out using descriptive and inferential statistics (Mann-Whitney UTest) Results show that farmers from the two clusters differ significantly in age, level of education , and household expenditure (p<0.05). In terms of production activities, the two clusters pay attention to meeting basic production standards such as weeding (100 %), shade management (97 %) but default on method of harvesting (68 %). They also default in post-harvest handling requirements like sorting of pods and destruction of diseased and infected pods. Poor finance (51% and 52 % respectively from each cluster), pests and diseases (36% and 34 % respectively from each cluster) are the major challenges
faced by the farmers and these are mainly tackled by getting loans to buy the necessary chemicals required. The overall results show that farmers in the OEL-cluster comply better with required standards. The policy implication of the study is that national institutions responsible for cocoa should be more effective at the rural level by working with non-governmental organizations committed towards enhancing rural people’s livelihoods. Working together with such organizations and certification organizations can make certification more inclusive and a common place norm in the cocoa economy.