| dc.description.abstract | 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. |
| cg.contributor.acknowledgements | The completion of this thesis has been a long, collective and interactive process to
which many people have contributed. To them, including those whom I may forget to
mention, I would like to express my gratitude for their support.
First of all, I would like to thank my promotors, Pr Ken Giller and Pr Cees Leeuwis, and
my co-promotors, Maja Slingerland and Syndhia Mathe. Ken, thank you for accepting
me as a student when I had not yet finished my MSc and for allowing me to do my PhD
at Wageningen University. I particularly appreciated your openness and frankness
during our interaction, and your constructive criticism. Your support and dedication
during the last phase of my PhD is also very much appreciated. Cees, I would like to
thank you for overseeing my PhD journey. Your availability to discuss the structure and
content of this thesis at all stages from the start to the end, always stressing the need
for a proper storyline and coherence in my writing is highly appreciated. Maja, you have
been instrumental in making this thesis a reality. I owe you a lot and writing a book will
not be enough to express my gratitude. You have been patient with me, trusted me,
kept my morale up and supported me even when I felt I didn't deserve it. You made
me understand that what I was doing was important and you encouraged me even
when I felt completely lost and wanted to give up. Syndhia, your support during the
(post) covid period is greatly appreciated. Your presence in Cameroon and regular
advice prevented me from being too distracted and allowed me to focus at a critical
moment. Thank you for your mentoring and guidance in organising the fieldwork and
your practical advice on how to deal with some administrative challenges.
To all my supervisors, I am grateful for your many reminders that a PhD requires more
than pragmatism and should include a degree of abstract thinking. Thank you for
stressing and recognising the importance of balancing work and personal life.
My thanks also go to Dr Masso for allowing me to stay at IITA Cameroon and for
ensuring that the resources for fieldwork were readily available.
My gratitude goes to NORAD for funding this project and to the CocoaSoils team, Dr
Asare, Janet, Kofi, Theresa, Abigael, Leonard, Stefan, Jean-Paul, Natalie, Adalbert,
Alvine, Adoph, Dr Begoude, Dr Precilia for the useful and inspiring discussions we had
at different stages of this PhD research.
A big thank you to all the co-authors of my different chapters Cargelle Masso, Precillia
Ijang, Lotte Wottiez, Wouter Vanhove, and Philippe Boudes for their additional
theoretical, analytical and practical insights.
I would also like to thank my mentors: Ann Degrande, Divine Foundjem, Charlie
Mbosso and Dr Ngome Precillia for their moral support and advice on professional and
social life. Special thanks to Ann Degrande and Divine Foundjem at the ICRAF-CIFOR
office in Yaoundé. More than professional mentors, you have both become friends and
parents to me. Ann, thank you for sharing the CocoaSoils calls for PhD applications
with me and encouraging me to apply. Thank you, Divine, for advising me during the
application process. You are both a source of inspiration and I am grateful for your
continued support.
I express my gratitude to the Radix-Nova cocoa team, Deo, Ekatherina, Joost, Paulina,
Lucette, Faustina, Ambra, Eva, Matthew, Danae, and Niels, and the extended WUR
cocoa team in the Sustainable Cocoa and Coffee discussion group for the many
enriching interactions and good times. Deo, merci grand frère, without knowing it,
consciously or unconsciously, you have taught me a lot, especially to appreciate small
achievements and not to be too hard on myself. Lucette, thank you for supporting my
stubbornness and my direct way of expressing my feelings at times. We shared many
of our happy times, frustrations, dreams, and uncertainties about the future. Thank you
for being a caring friend and colleague.
Thanks to all colleagues in the Plant Production Systems Group (PPS) and the
Knowledge Technology and Innovation Group (KTI). Special thanks to Linda and
Karen for their administrative support and timely responses to all my queries. Thanks
to Deo, Ekaterina, Katrien, Gildas, Marius, Bert, Marcel, Maja, Joost, Marieke, Jens,
Martjin, Meine, Mukoma, Thomas, Eva H., Eva T., Jiska, Baastian, Yin, Joy, Esther,
Ashenafi, Comfort, Massimo, Sara, Harmen, Andrea, Hugo, Neo, Arouna, Hyacinthe,
Delphine, Abubakar, Inge, Mirjam, Felix, Chaniga, Mikinay, Dyah, Julissa, Maria
Fernanda, Tania, and many others for the interactions and the nice time spent together.
I am grateful to the Cameroonian communities in Wageningen: Sylvain, Simplice,
Giscard, Chanelle, Shaphan, Mr Luanga, Jessica, Bertin, etc. for the good time and
the home atmosphere shared during your monthly meetings and invitations to outings.
My deepest thanks to Esther, Messi, William, Simon and Felix who helped me with the
data collection, and to Ernest who helped me with the realisation of the maps when
needed.
I don’t forget my friends Willy, Clifford, Nathalie (NOE), Cyrille, Cornelie, Noel, Hinke,
Carole and Alvine for their positive words of encouragement.
Finally, I would like to thank my parents, my brothers and sisters, my extended family
and my beloved wife Ebai BabetteTakan Bessem. Thank you all for your support, your
boundless love, your understanding and most of all for your prayers. To my younger
siblings: Carlette, Merveille, Yacinthe, Armandine, Loic, Marguy, Josnelle, Peguy,
Theo, Winnie, Zoe, Gabi, and Camille; I have been a distant brother these last years,
often away and not spending much quality time with you. I hope you will forgive me
and that this work will inspire you to live and believe in your dreams. Dear "Babette",
forgive me for being an absent husband, generally on the move and mentally absent
when physically present. Thank you for being by my side in good and bad times, and
for supporting me through it all. |
