Assessing the effectiveness of a local agricultural research committee in diffusing sustainable cocoa production practices: the case of capsid control in Ghana

The conventional method of `delivering¿ technologies recommended by researchers to farmers through extension has proved ineffective, resulting in a persistent low (3.5% over ten years) adoption of research-based cocoa technologies. The present study was conducted in the Eastern Region of Ghana and assessed the impact of the Local Agricultural Research Committee (LARC) approach on the diffusion of capsid management knowledge and practices, developed with the LARC, to others in the community. Capsids (Sahlbergella singularis and Distantiella theobroma) were diagnosed as the most serious production constraint. LARC members engaged in intensive interactive learning and experimentation to control them. The interactive approach developed by the International Centre for Tropical Agriculture was used to link the LARC with community farmers, a majority of whom aspired to produce organic cocoa for a premium. The LARC acquired vital agro-ecological knowledge on capsid management, including skills in scouting for capsids to determine their temporal distribution and systematic experimentation with control methods, before presenting its results to the community. This article reports on a survey comparing three categories of farmers: LARC members, exposed and non-exposed community farmers, so as to assess the diffusion and impact of LARC knowledge co-production. The results show that the LARC approach significantly influenced acquisition and diffusion of knowledge and practices.