Large chocolate manufacturers have committed themselves to only using certifiedcocoa beans and some governments want to increase the share of certified cocoaproducts consumed in their countries. Thus, Voluntary Sustainability Standards(VSSs) become quasi-mandatory for cocoa producers and...

Poverty continues to persist among the smallholder farmers in the cocoa sector, especially among the West African cocoa-producing countries. Despite the sector’s contribution to economic development, the smallholder farmers are yet to record any tangible improvement in their welfare and...