The Nexus Between Cocoa Farmers’ Business Schools Participation and Impact to Support Livelihood Improvement Strategies in Ghana

Abstract

The authors examined cocoa farmers’ participation in Farmer Business Schools (FBS) in Ghana, impacts of livelihood outcomes (human, physical, financial, and social capitals) on participation, and implications of participation on productivity and per capita expenditure. We used cross-sectional data from 150 cocoa farmers. Data was analyzed with descriptive statistics, heteroskedastic probit, and doubly robust augmented inverse probability weighted regression adjustment model (AIPW). More than half of cocoa farmers participated in FBS. Financial capital (income and loan accessibility) and social capital (farmer group membership) positively influenced participation in FBS. Nevertheless, human capital (ability to pay medical bills) and physical capital (number of sleeping rooms) negatively influenced participation in FBS. Knowledge and skills cocoa farmers obtained from FBS are new farming methods, creativity in solving farming problems, record keeping, and managerial skills. Participation in FBS had a positive impact and a heterogeneous effect on cocoa farmers’ productivity and per capita expenditure. Given that the impact of FBS was heterogeneous, the FBS curriculum and approach should be segmented for different types of farmers to the generic FBS approaches currently practiced.

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“…Also, farmers' (participants) positive perception could be a result of the benefits they have gained from attending Farmers Business School. The above results are in line with Bannor et al, (2022) which showed that farmers who attend Farmer Business School gain some benefits such as learning about new and improved farming and business management methods.…”

“…This indicates that men are more active in public activities than females and female farmers are mostly involved in reproductive roles or domestic roles such as child caring, cooking meals, washing and cleaning and others, thereby reducing the time available for them to participate various extension services or farmer groups or associations (Awunyo-Vitor et al, 2016). The findings contradict that of Bannor et al, (2022) which indicate that sex does not influence cocoa farmers' participation in Farmer Business School. The results indicate that as the age of farmers rises farmers are less probable to participate in Farmer Business School.…”

“…Participants' average income (GH₵ 5349.55) was higher than non-participants (GH₵ 3945.79). This could be attributed to an increase in the average yield per acre of participants (6 bags per acre) and also various skills training participants receive during Farmer Business school to enhance their productivity and improve their income (Bannor et al, 2022).…”

“…Large-scale farmers might have a stronger sense of business. These farmers might be eager to learn and gather the information that increased productivity (Bannor et al, 2022). The effect of FBS on the yield of cocoa farmers (non-participants and participants)…”

“…In Ghana, Tham-Agyekum et al, (2021) studied how to enhance the market orientation of cocoa growers through FBS and found that participants of the FBS were more competitor-oriented, customeroriented, and had more inter-functional coordination than non-participants. The impact of one's livelihood (social, physical, human, and financial capital) on partaking, as well as the implications of participation on productivity and per capita spending, were all examined by Bannor et al, (2022) in their study of Ghana's cocoa farmers' participation in FBS. They discovered that involvement in FBS had a favourable influence and a variety of effects on the per capita spending and productivity of cocoa growers.…”