Effect of Cocoa Certification Programme on Farmers' Compliance with Social Sustainability Issues in Cocoa Production in Osun State, Nigeria

Aims: This study investigated the effect of cocoa certification programmes on farmers’ compliance with social sustainability activities. The aim was to determine whether participation in certification schemes enhances social practices such as promoting education, preventing child labor, engaging in cooperative activities, and adopting inclusive employment policies. Study Design: A simple multi-stage and proportionate random design was used. Place and Duration of Study: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2024 using a multi-stage sampling procedure to select 111 cocoa farmers from five key local government areas in Osun State, Nigeria. Methodology: Data were collected through a structured interview schedule employing a 5-point Likert scale, with the instrument’s reliability confirmed by a Guttman coefficient of 0.81. T-test was used to determine the significance of the hypothesis at 0.05 level of significance. Results: The analysis revealed that farmers enrolled in the certification programme exhibited significantly higher social sustainability involvement compared to non-participants. Specifically, the mean involvement score for participating farmers was 36.36 ± 3.25, while non-participants scored 33.84 ± 5.53; the difference was statistically significant (t (109) = 2.99, p < 0.05). Furthermore, certified farmers consistently demonstrated stronger commitments in key areas: they scored higher on sending children to school (4.70 ± 0.55 vs. 4.26 ± 1.15) and on the prevention of child labor (4.51 ± 0.59 vs. 4.06 ± 1.22). Enhanced participation in cooperative meetings and more inclusive employment practices were also observed among certification programme participants. Conclusion: In conclusion, the study provides robust evidence that cocoa certification programmes positively influence farmers’ engagement in social sustainability practices. It is recommended that policymakers and stakeholders expand access to certification and training programmes to improve participation among non-certified farmers, thereby fostering greater adherence to ethical labor practices and broader socio-economic development within the cocoa farming sector.