1 PERCEIVED IMPACT OF COCOA INNOVATIONS ON THE LIVELIHOODS OF COCOA FARMERS IN GHANA: THE SUSTAINABLE LIVELIHOOD FRAMEWORK (SL) APPROACH Martin Bosompem, Joseph Adjei Kwarteng, & Edward Ntifo-Siaw University of Cape Coast, Ghana ABSTRACT The Cocoa High Technology Programme (CHTP) was introduced by the Government of Ghana in 2003 with the aim of improving the fertility of the soil thereby increasing the yields and incomes of cocoa farmers. A correlational survey design was used in the Eastern Region of Ghana to examine the perceived impact of the CHTP on the livelihoods of cocoa farmers who adopted the technology using the Sustainable Livelihood Framework (SL) Approach. The level of impact of the programme on farmers’ livelihoods as a ‘whole’ though higher, was below the expectations of cocoa farmers. The study further revealed that farmers’ yields were significantly improved by the CHTP with mean increase of 72% (from 2.85 bags/acre to 4.9 bags/acre), three years after the implementation of the CHTP. The results of stepwise multiple regression analysis revealed that (1) fertilizer application; (2) harvesting, fermentation and drying technologies; and (3) fungicide application were the best predictors of impact on livelihoods of cocoa farmers. Key words: Cocoa Innovations, Sustainable Livelihoods Framework, Cocoa High Technology Programme, Ghana, Perceived Impact INTRODUCTION Cocoa (Theobroma cacao, L.) is the dominant tree crop in Ghana, accounting for 20.5% of Ghana’s export earnings, 3.3% of GDP and the sub-sector employs 24% of labour force (FASDEP, 2002). It also accounts for 55% of the total household income among cocoa farmers in Ghana (IITA, 2002). Therefore, a significant growth of the economy depends, to some extent, on the growth of the cocoa sector. West Africa produces 70 percent of the world's cocoa, with Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana supplying 40 and 25 percent of global consumption respectively (Dizolele, 2005). The average national annual yield in Ghana, around 350 kilograms per hectare (kg/ha), is very low compared to 800 kg/ha in Côte d'Ivoire, or 1700 kg/ha in Malaysia (Appiah, 2004). The relatively low yield of cocoa in Ghana has been attributed to a number of reasons including high incidence of pest and diseases (such as capsids, swollen shoot virus disease (CSSVD), and black pod disease), decline in soil fertility and Journal of Sustainable Development in Africa (Volume 13, No.4, 2011) ISSN: 1520-5509 Clarion University of Pennsylvania, Clarion, Pennsylvania