Fairtrade West Africa Cocoa Programme evaluation
Published: 1 Oct 2021
The West Africa Cocoa Programme (WACP) was launched in 2016 by Fairtrade International and Fairtrade Africa. The programme’s central principle is that when small-scale producer organizations are strong, resilient and responsive to their members’ needs, and when they and their members have access to resources through the Fairtrade Premium and other mechanisms, they are best placed to identify, prioritize and address issues necessary for their success and sustainability.
Fairtrade International commissioned Afriqinsights, a pan-African primary market research and consulting firm to carry out an independent evaluation of the WACP programme covering the period from 2016-2020. The evaluation study sought to assess and understand how and in what ways the project interventions have achieved WACP’s intended outcomes according to the WACP Theory of Change. The purpose of the evaluation was to make recommendations which will feed into the WACP implementation strategy from 2021 onwards and ensure that the programme is having the impact that has been envisioned.
The evaluation found that participating Fairtrade certified cocoa producer organizations are more effective and resilient as businesses and are responsive to their members’ needs. It also confirmed that producer organizations have greater access to skills and confidence for accessing Fairtrade cocoa markets, and that sustained growth of cocoa sales on Fairtrade terms is an ongoing goal.
Report findings are summarized in our management response, which also describes actions that Fairtrade has taken to further develop the West Africa Cocoa Programme.