RESEARCH NEEDS FOR SUSTAINABLE COCOA PRODUCTION IN GHANA
Access to Information
Research needs:
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How do farmers currently acquire information?
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Which information is relevant for cocoa farmers?
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How can access to information be improved?
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How to get the relevant information available in an accessible form?
Farmers in remote areas have limited access to information that could be relevant for them. For example information on weather predictions and availability of agrochemicals. Also knowledge of more general topics such as policy developments and price changes on the global market, can be important for empowering farmers to influence the environment in which they work.
Therefore, it should be determined how this information can reach the farmers. This should take into account which infrastructure can be used, such as effective extension systems, radio or mobile phones (see for example the CocoaLink project). In addition, it is important to consider how the relevant information can be gathered, reformulated and presented in an accessible form to cocoa farmers.