Achieving sustainable cocoa intensification in Cameroon: current constraints and effectiveness of service delivery

Essougong, U.P.K. (2023). Achieving sustainable cocoa intensification in Cameroon: current constraints and effectiveness of service delivery. Wageningen, The Netherlands: Wageningen University, (208 p.).

This thesis aims to increase our understanding of the current constraints to sustainable cocoa intensification in Cameroon and the extent to which service delivery in the sector is adequate. To this end, four levels of analysis are considered: farmers' perceptions of cocoa farming practices and ability to innovate; the socio-economic, socio-demographic, and farm factors that influence the intensity of adoption of cocoa best management practices (BMPs), cocoa yield, and net returns; the availability and quality of services provided to farmers in relation to their needs; and the extent of service integration in the pluralistic actor landscape. Qualitative and quantitative research methods are used, combining descriptive, inferential, econometric, thematic, and social network analysis. The results show that the level of awareness of BMPs among cocoa farmers is high. The intensity of BMPs adoption is mostly constrained by farmers' perceptions and their inability to access productive resources, leading to a prioritisation of BMPs that varies by location. Access to services increased the adoption of BMPs, but was not necessarily translated into higher yields or net returns. There was a mismatch between the services farmers received and what they demanded. Access to, demand for, and satisfaction with services were influenced by several factors. Location, involvement in certification, seniority, and leadership in farmer organisations were significantly associated with access to and demand for services, while satisfaction with the quality of services was mostly influenced by previous services received and the extent to which they met expectations. Different criteria for assessing service quality were identified and their importance varied between services. The service delivery landscape was highly fragmented, with overlapping functions between actors, partly due to limited communication, collaboration, and coordination. As a result, the effectiveness and efficiency of existing interventions was limited, resulting in inadequate geographical coverage and the exclusion of some farmers from the service delivery stream. To foster the transition towards sustainable cocoa production systems, the thesis advocates for changes in the cocoa sector governance. In terms of policy implications, the findings point to the need for a more prominent role of the state in the governance of the cocoa value chain, and for international agreements and negotiations based on win-win partnerships between sourcing-and-producing countries and resulting in the co-construction of solutions and strategies to address the sector’s sustainability challenges. Specifically, government capacity should be strengthened to allow it to facilitate and create an enabling environment for greater integration of service delivery. Public-private partnerships to improve the match between services provided and farmers' needs should be strengthened, holistic and integrated solutions prioritised, and synergies and inclusiveness in the design and implementation of interventions increased. The thesis further recommends that adoption in the context of cocoa farming should be properly conceptualised, and interventions to promote BMPs operationalised taking into account the complexity of cocoa BMPs and the inter- and intra-plot heterogeneity of cocoa farms. In addition, researchers are encouraged to prioritise longitudinal studies in cocoa research, and perennial crops in general, to better understand the dynamics of the adoption of BMPs and its impact on household livelihood strategies.