Behavioral drivers of certified chocolate demand in Cameroon

The demand for certified chocolate has been widely studied in Western countries and, more recently, in emerging economies. Sub-Saharan Africa, however, has been less influenced by this demand, although a gradual increase is expected in the medium to long term. To support this transition, it is crucial to understand the behavioral factors that may drive African consumers to purchase certified chocolate in domestic markets. This study examines the mechanisms underlying the emergence of demand for certified chocolate, with a particular focus on the role of behavioral biases in a cocoa-producing country. We adopted an approach combining the theory of planned behavior with insights from behavioral economics to explore the psychological motivations behind the demand for certified chocolate in Cameroon. 118 survey responses were analyzed using structural equation modeling. The results highlight the important role of status quo bias in the emergence of local demand for certified chocolate, particularly through its influence on the two antecedents of the theory of planned behavior (attitude and subjective norm), while loss aversion bias exerts a limited effect on purchase behavior. These results suggest that policies aimed at promoting the demand for certified chocolate should leverage mechanisms that reinforce the anchoring of purchasing behaviors within formal channels, in order to support the transition toward sustainable local demand.