# Comparing corporate sustainability programmes, social entrepreneurship, and cooperatives in shaping farmers’ well-being

## TL;DR

Peruvian coffee and cocoa farmers working with social enterprises report better well-being than those in corporate programs or cooperatives, according to a survey and analysis.

## Contribution

The study identifies social enterprises as uniquely significant contributors to farmers' well-being beyond certification and other sustainability strategies.

## Key findings

- Farmers in any sustainability program report higher well-being than independent farmers.
- Only social enterprises significantly improve well-being after controlling for other variables.
- The findings suggest localized, socially tailored strategies are more effective for farmer well-being.

## Abstract

The governance of sustainability in agri-food value chains has evolved beyond conventional certification strategies. Corporate sustainability programs, social enterprises, and cooperatives are key complementary or alternative strategies. However, their relative contributions to farmers’ well-being remain unclear. Therefore, we conducted a household survey of 634 cocoa and coffee farmers distributed across three production hotspots in the Peruvian Amazon. We use the Personal Well-being Index to compare well-being among and between farmers involved in the various strategies. Results show that farmers engaged in any strategy of sustainability governance report higher well-being than independent farmers. However, only social enterprise strategies remained a significant contributor to overall farmers’ well-being after controlling for certification, context, household, and demographic variables. Our findings challenge traditional productivity centered approaches and emphasize the importance of incorporating localized, socially tailored strategies to enhance the well-being of farmers within agri-food value chains.

In Peru, coffee and cocoa farmers engaged with social enterprises report higher well-being than those involved in current corporate programs or cooperatives, according to an analysis that combines a household survey and statistical approach