Actor roles and linkages in the agricultural innovation system: options for establishing a cocoa innovation platform in Ghana

Innovation platforms promote interactions among actors in an innovation system. Given the importance of the cocoa sub-sector to the Ghanaian economy, having an innovation platform is imperative for increasing innovative performance. Using qualitative data collection tools we obtained in-depth inform...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Innovation and development 2023-05, Vol.13 (2), p.301-322
Main Authors: Onumah, Justina Adwoa, Asante, Felix Ankomah, Osei, Robert Darko
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
actor roles
Agricultural innovation system
cocoa
linkages
social network analysis
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Summary:Innovation platforms promote interactions among actors in an innovation system. Given the importance of the cocoa sub-sector to the Ghanaian economy, having an innovation platform is imperative for increasing innovative performance. Using qualitative data collection tools we obtained in-depth information on the roles and linkages of actors to provide options for the establishment/strengthening of the cocoa innovation platform in Ghana. Findings from the thematic and social network analysis suggest that stimulating the participation of farmer groups, actors in research, extension, policy, and the private sector is important as they have the power to attract and sustain relevant actors to the network and hold the structure of the cocoa innovation platform together. The study contributes to the literature by being the first study that has applied the SNA tool to the cocoa innovation system in Ghana and also by emphasizing the prominent role farmers and private sector actors play in such networks.
ISSN:2157-930X
2157-9318
DOI:10.1080/2157930X.2021.1965752