Organic cocoa producers in são tomé and príncipe (stp): value chain, governance and sustainability

Abstract

This research addresses STP ́s cacao value chain through four interrelated studies. The objective of this research is to understand the impact of governance mechanisms/national policies on the small organic cocoa producers (OCP), who are facing a significant trade-off between cocoa and other activities more productive/profitable. In the first study the behaviour and characteristics of OCP will be analysed at both a worldwide and an STP level (the 17th world producer). The second study will identify the livelihood strategies of the small OCP. For this purpose, theoretical frameworks for sustainable rural livelihood strategies and household livelihoods will be adopted. Based on activity variables, we expect to: 1) identify the latent profiles of livelihood strategies and related them the endowment of capital assets and income share variables; and 2) find results will show the gaps between conventional and OCP, the lack of appropriate incentives and profits and, the economic sustainability for OCP in future scenarios. Understand how cocoa chain governance mechanisms and structures and policies improve sustainability and add value to farmers will be the third study. Finally, the fourth study will consist of an analysis of the OCP perceptions of add value, as well as the relationships between the value components and their sustainability. Methodological procedures will include a detailed survey with a sample of households, experimental lotteries as well as a theoretical model using variance-based structural equation modelling (SEM) with the partial leasT squares (PLS) algorithm. It´s expectable that outputs may offer relevant insights/contributions to informing evidence- based interventions, promoting overall sustainability and reduction of poverty.