Socioeconomic Analysis of Rainforest Alliance-Certified Cocoa Agroforestry Systems and Producer Behavior Facing the Cocoa Price Boom: Evidence from Haut-Nkam and Ndé Departments, West Cameroon
Against the backdrop of a global cocoa price boom (from 1000 to 6100 FCFA/kg between May 2022 and April 2024) and the rapid expansion of sustainable certification (41% of Cameroonian production certified in 2021-2022), this study assesses the socioeconomic effects of Rainforest Alliance (RA) certification on cocoa agroforestry systems in West Cameroon and describes producer behavioural responses to the exceptional price environment. Based on a sample of 105 producers (26 certified, 79 non-certified) surveyed in the subdivisions of Bagangté and Tonga (Ndé Department) and Kekem (Haut-Nkam Department), the study applies cost-benefit analysis, discounted profitability criteria (NPV, BCR, payback period), and binary logistic regression. Certified producers incur significantly higher total costs (319,114 vs 236,491 FCFA/ha, p < 0.01) but generate substantially greater revenues (2,494,436 vs 1,425,983 FCFA/ha in 2023/24, p < 0.001). The certified system outperforms on all three financial criteria: NPV (1,738,918 vs 847,851 FCFA/ha; +105%), BCR (6.44 vs 4.58), and payback period (1 year vs 1 year 8 months). The logistic model identifies land access (Exp(B) = 5.63; p < 0.01), training on cocoa production (Exp(B) = 6.47; p < 0.05), and cooperative membership (Exp(B) = 7.77; p < 0.10) as significant determinants of certification adoption. The price elasticity of supply is extremely low (ε = 0.04), confirming the structural inelasticity of cocoa production. Facing the price surge, 96.2% of producers upgraded their equipment and inputs, 86.7% diversified their crops, and 75.2% expanded their cultivated area. The study recommends establishing a meaningful certified-conventional price differential, strengthening participatory training, and improving land tenure security for non-certified producers.
Cite this paper
Ngnemadon, S. A. A. , Tschoung’, A. B. , Fokou, E. , Ngoe, M. , Laï, A. R. and Houmdie, L. (2026). Socioeconomic Analysis of Rainforest Alliance-Certified Cocoa Agroforestry Systems and Producer Behavior Facing the Cocoa Price Boom: Evidence from Haut-Nkam and Ndé Departments, West Cameroon. Open Access Library Journal, 13, e15464. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/oalib.1115464.
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