Cocoa production sector: Constraints and effects on livelihoods in the Mbonge Sub-Division, South West Region of Cameroon

In Cameroon, cocoa production is the most profitable economic activity for rural communities particularly in the Mbonge Sub-Division. This sector provides a vital source of income and employment opportunities for numerous small-scale farmers. Despite their crucial role, cocoa farmers still struggle to earn significant income, leaving them unable to meet their basic needs or achieve a good standard of living. This study seeks to examine the constraints to cocoa production and their effects on rural livelihoods in Mbonge Sub-Division. To achieve this objective, descriptive and explanatory research designs were used with both primary and secondary data collected and analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistical techniques. A random sampling was employed to select a sample of 368 respondents including all stakeholders involved in cocoa production process within the study area.  The results revealed that the constant fluctuation in cocoa prices, inadequate access to credit facilities, insecure land tenure, poor infrastructural development like roads, poor storage facilities, climate variability and change were the major constraints to cocoa production observed in the study area. These constraints have resulted in a 50% fall in the total production and revenue. There is a drastic drop in income from approximately 18,700,000,000-billion-franc C.F.A in 2011-to-9000,000,000-billion-franc C.F.A in 2020. The overall effects of the constraints on rural livelihoods on the inhabitants of Mbonge is the difficulty to access quality health care, feeding, decent housing, clothing, toiletries, household utilities, education, socialization, and savings. Purchasing power of farmers has remained very low, in addition to a high rate of inflation. The study recommends farmers to improve on cocoa certification, encourage savings and diversification of their sources of income and activity. The government is recommended to improve on integrated rural development projects, cocoa extension services and more efforts to solve the socio-political crises plaguing the area. Given the pivotal role of the cocoa sector, agricultural policies should be favourable to small farm holders amidst the constraints to ameliorate and improve cocoa production, thus improving rural livelihoods.