Factors That Affect the Adoption of Fertilizer Among Cocoa Farmers in Developing Countries: A Review.

Sub-Saharan Africa's adoption of inorganic fertilizer lags behind other developing nations, creating limitations for small-holder cocoa producers. Using the Diffusion of Innovations (DOI) Theory, articles assessing inorganic fertilizer (non)adoption by cocoa producers in Sub-Saharan Africa are reviewed. Factors influencing adoption fell into two major categories: socioeconomic characteristics of the potential adopter and characteristics of the innovation itself. Farm income, access to credit, labor requirements, and fertilizer price/availability are especially influential. Future studies and outreach efforts to consider the interplay of many personal, agronomic, and technological factors when promoting fertilizer adoption in cocoa farming are encouraged.