Private sustainability certification and local transformations in cocoa production Insights from Ghana

Based on a UTZ certification project in Ghana, this article analyzes the transformations occurring in the functioning of the cacao sector at the local level. The certification system put in place using a private-private partnership is effective in terms of technical support and agricultural training and seems to have a positive impact on productivity. But the life circumstances of producers and their position in the sector are not improved in a sustainable way; rather, we find reinforced asymmetries.