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Ghana Cocoa Industry—An Analysis from the Innovation System Perspective
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This paper discusses Ghana's cocoa industry from the innovation systems perspective. Cocoa is the major cash crop of Ghana. Its importance is not only in the contribution of about 25% annually of the total foreign exchange earnings but also on account of being the source of livelihoods for many rural farmers and the related actors in the value chain. The critical actors in the innovation system are the farmers, the researchers, the buyers, the transporters, public officers, consumers and the policy makers. By the roles and functions they perform, they impact on the dynamics of the cocoa industry. The paper describes the trends in cocoa production and processing and highlights the key characteristics and implications. It discusses the policy reforms in the cocoa industry and the major drivers of the reforms. The Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) is one of the biggest public institutions in Ghana and its subsidiaries are major actors in the production process of cocoa for export. The key reforms in the policies governing the industry were the dissolution of the monopoly of Produce Buying Company and the deregulation of cocoa purchasing to allow Licensed Buying Companies (LBCs) to enter the business in 1992/93 crop season. There was also the dismantling and reorganization of the Cocoa Services Division into two separate units—the Cocoa Swollen Shoot Virus Disease Control Unit (CSSVDCU) and the Seed Production Unit (SPU). The processing of cocoa into cocoa butter, cocoa paste and confectioneries is an important component of the value chain especially with the national goal of processing 50% of cocoa before export. The paper discusses policy implementation in the cocoa industry underscoring the successes and failures. It highlights lessons for other primary commodity producing countries especially those whose development contexts are similar to Ghana's.
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... Cocoa production contributes immensely to Ghana's economy [1,2]. However, it is mainly on small scale and highly labour-intensive [3,4]. Smallholder cocoa farmers, who form the majority, have low financial capacities to hire the required labour [5,6]. ...
... Natives (seven) recorded higher years of schooling than migrants (five). In agreement with this [1,4,33], reported that cocoa farmers in Ghana have lower levels of formal education. They recorded the same household sizes (four each). ...
Working conditions and wellbeing (quality of life) could be linked, and they in turn enhance social and economic development. Nevertheless, working conditions of farmhands have largely been ignored in policy and research. We explored working conditions of migrant and native farmhands on Ghana's cocoa farms, and implications on wellbeing, using primary data from 600 respondents. Multidimensional Poverty Index, Department for International Development sustainable livelihood approach, World Food Programme asset score, Zellner's seemingly unrelated regression and multinomial logistic regression were adopted. Living standards, resilience, health and asset ownership of farmhands were generally low. Natives had higher living standards than migrants. However, migrants had better food security, and were more resilient to shocks than natives. Working and living conditions like years as a farmhand, closeness to social amenities, years migrant had stayed in community, type of migrant, being joined by a household member, working hours and days, type of agreement, category of farmhand, bonuses, satisfaction with working conditions, and income influence living standards, resilience, health and asset ownership. Thus, there is a link between working conditions and wellbeing of cocoa farmhands. Farmhands should be given long-term contracts, bonuses/incentives and personal protective equipment (PPE) by cocoa farmers. Government and private agencies should provide social amenities/infrastructure in cocoa-growing communities. Farmhands should do their own farms and join associations.
... Although, cocoa originates from South America [6] more cocoa is grown in West Africa than any other region of the world [16]. This makes cocoa economically significant in some Africa countries like Ghana where it contributes 25% of total annual foreign exchange for the country [17]. It is a source of livelihood for many farmers as well as non-farmers along the value chain in Ghana. ...
... Therefore, regarding the same quantity, baobab pulp could serve as a better natural source of vitamin C supplement than cocoa, due to its higher vitamin C content, and consumers of baobab pulp products may stand a better chance of reducing these risks (hypertension, coronary heart disease, stroke). Besides, consumption of vitamin C increases iron bioavailability from foods, and regarding this, vitamin C from baobab pulp could enhance absorption of non-heme iron in populations that are highly vulnerable [17,79,80]. As well, a higher vitamin C consumption predicted a minor risk of anemia [81]. ...
Baobab is a priority pan-African tree species that can be put on a similar pedestal as cocoa. The wild and indigenous baobab has the potential for similar importance in tropical agriculture as the exotic commodity crop cocoa, whose beans are exported for the international chocolate industry. Considering the advantages associated with baobab cultivation, the tree could be one of the cash crops cultivated in West Africa. Domestication and cultivation of the plant will improve biodiversity which can drive many livelihoods and important strategies in solving food and nutrition insecurity, poverty, export and sometimes environmental degradation. However, domestication of baobab has only been in progress for a few years, thus the tree remains virtually wild across its range. Successful domestication of baobab tree has the potential to complement cocoa cultivation and this will enhance diet and market diversification, contributing to growth of local economies to enrich and sustain livelihoods of rural poor. This review compared the resilience and suitability of baobab and cocoa growing conditions, overall usefulness, nutritional composition and vulnerability to pests and diseases. In addition, the genetic and morphological variation was reviewed for the suitability of baobab to be domesticated. These two important economic plants are of comparable antiquity and when cultivated, can better complement each other in most Sub-Saharan Africa countries – a major driver in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
... Of the country » GK Animah. 13 Furthermore, according to data from Owusu, Ofori-Gyamfi, 22 In Ivory Coast and Ghana, cocoa has a crucial influence on the national economy. This is how since 2011, "cocoa represents 1/3 of exports, 22% of GDP and 16% of tax revenues of Côte d'Ivoire". ...
The introduction of cocoa cultivation in Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana, even if it followed different paths, eventually established itself as one of the main sources of incomes for millions of farmers, but also for the two states. Following independence, in 1957 for Ghana and 1960 for Côte d'Ivoire, cocoa farming underwent unprecedented development. Dividends from the sale of cocoa contributed to the economic dynamism of both countries until 1980, when the economic crisis hit the economies of African countries hard. Despite the fall in prices on the international market, Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana have continued to make cocoa the mainstay of their economies, and are now the world's leading and second largest producers. This deeply empirical study, based specifically on documentary research, takes stock of cocoa growing in the two countries from 1980 to 2015. It also looks at the economic impact of this cash crop in Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana from the start of the economic crisis in the 1980s to 2015.
... Cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.), a commodity of great economic significance, has increasingly gained remarkable attention on the global market as it remains to be one of the most profitable and heavily traded food commodities in the world (Afoakwa, 2014;Peña-Correa et al., 2022). It is an invaluable cash crop for many smallholder farmers in the world, and its processing is an important global industry (Essegbey & Ofori-Gyamfi, 2012). However, since the last decade, several cocoa-producing nations have witnessed a notable decline in production due to factors such as ageing trees, plant diseases, and inadequate rainfall (Schroth et al., 2016). ...
The recent global cocoa supply decline calls for investigating disease‐resistant and single‐origin cocoa varieties in Asia. While genetic analysis has identified promising clones, information on bean quality and flavour remains limited. This research aims to analyse quality attributes of single‐origin cocoa beans and key volatile organic compounds in cocoa liquors and to determine consumer acceptability of indigenous cocoa beverage (Tablea) from single‐origin cocoa in the Philippines. Aroma fingerprinting of cocoa clones (UF18, BR25, W10) using fast GC electronic nose revealed distinctive profiles. Cocoa clone UF18 exhibited high‐fat content (52.1%), surpassing African cocoa clones. Even more important is the discovery of elevated levels of desirable volatile compounds in cocoa clone W10 such as methyl decanoate (fruity) and phenylacetaldehyde (honey, floral), which marks the first study that identified fine aroma components in single‐origin cocoa beans in Asia. Harnessing potential of these cocoa clones ensures consumer acceptability of the cocoa beverage Tablea.
... A key strategy involves utilizing cocoa processing residues to generate additional income and mitigate environmental pollution. In Ghana, the cocoa industry involves various stakeholders, including farmers, researchers, buyers, transporters, public officials, consumers, and policymakers (Essegbey and Ofori-Gyamfi, 2012). These participants collectively form a network to collabora- tively address socio-economic challenges within the cocoa industry. ...
Cocoa farming and processing are the main preoccupations of Ghana's cocoa-based pillar industry, generating annual quantities of 858,720 tons of cocoa pod husk (CPH) and 180,000 tons of
cocoa bean shell (CBS) as cocoa processing residues (CPRs) and solid waste in Ghana. Numerous nonstructural extractable compounds with bioactivity are being intensively explored for their potential applications in plant-based functional food and animal feed additives. This review presents the potential applications of extractives from CPH and CBS in Ghana and summarizes and discusses the recent advanced technologies for their extraction. The findings of this review
demonstrate that CPR extractives vary based on the type of cocoa, geographical location, and extraction method. Phenolic compounds, pectin, and alkaloids are the primary extractives found in CPRs, and their applications in functional food and animal feed additives hold promise. Microwave-assisted extraction, ultrasonic-assisted extraction, subcritical water extraction, supercritical fluid extraction, and the optimization of solvent extraction are the most recently developed and advanced technologies due to their improved extraction efficiency. However, they still require further improvements to fully realize their efficiency potential. Key factors for improving these technologies include reducing extraction time, lowering temperatures to prevent compound degradation, enhancing extraction selectivity, simplifying the extraction system's complex configuration for improved operation and energy efficiency, and minimizing chemical usage. The development and commercialization of residue-extractive technology offer promising new approaches for valorizing the cocoa processing residues, as well as the related food and animal feed sectors, not only in Ghana but also in cocoa-producing countries worldwide.
... Cette nouveauté, perçue comme telle par les producteurs, peut prendre la forme d'une idée, d'une pratique ou d'un objet (Adam, 1982 ;Reij et Waters-Bayer, 2001 ;Smale et al., 2012). Cette définition s'inspire de celle donnée par Rogers (1995 Gakuru et al., 2009 ;Meyer, 2015 ;Baumüller, 2016 ;Dinesh et al., 2017 Innovation de procédés ou de pratiques La rotation des cultures, les cultures par association, l'irrigation au goutte à goutte, la microdose d'engrais, la pisciculture Aune et Coulibaly, 2015 ;Clavel et al., 2008 ;Stewart et al., 2015 ;Ike et Roseline, 2007 ;Shava et Gunhidzirai, 2017 Innovation organisationnelle Les nouvelles méthodes d'organisation, de collaboration (co-utilisation d'équipements agricoles) Balse et al., 2015 Innovation commerciale Apparition de marchés bio et équitables, ventes en ligne de produits agricoles, émergence de supermarchés, nouveux emballages Onyas et Ryan, 2015 ;Nandonde et Kuada, 2018 Innovation institutionnelle Les nouvelles formes d'organisation, nouvelles mesures règlementaires ou incitatives qui peuvent toucher : les contrats, la finance et l'assurance agricole, l'accès au marché, l'accès au foncier, etc. Holloway et al., 2000 ;Oluoch-Kosura, 2010 ;Schut et al., 2018 Dans cette littérature, les innovations de produits (y compris les services) et de procédés semblent être les plus courantes (Sunding et Zilberman, 2001 ;Stewart et al., 2015). Pendant que les équipements, engrais et pesticides sont largement développés par le secteur privé, les nouvelles variétés sont développées principales par le secteur public (Sunding et Zilberman, 2001). ...
Ces dernières années, il y a un intérêt croissant des chercheurs en sciences de gestion pour l’innovation dans les pays en voie de développement (PVD). La majorité de la population mondiale vit dans ces pays, dispose de très faibles revenus, et a peu d’accès aux innovations appropriées. En effet, les technologies proposées sont en général le résultat de processus d’innovations linéaires de type technology-push, qui ne prennent pas toujours en compte les besoins locaux des utilisateurs. De plus, elles sont introduites depuis les pays développés sans réelle adaptation aux conditions d’usage et aux moyens financiers des utilisateurs.
Cette thèse vise à mieux comprendre comment l’innovation de produit peut mieux répondre aux besoins des utilisateurs dans les PVD, en s'appuyant sur trois piliers. Tout d’abord, nous vérifions si l’intensité de participation des utilisateurs dans le processus d’innovation affecte l’adoption de l’innovation. Ensuite, nous cherchons à comprendre plus en profondeur comment cette participation se déroule, et examinons les déterminants qui peuvent affecter la décision de participer. Enfin, nous analysons une nouvelle approche d’innovation, dite frugale, laquelle semble se manifester dans des conditions de ressources limitées pour répondre plus efficacement aux besoins des utilisateurs dans les PVD. Nous en identifions les antécédents, les moteurs et les impacts. Pour atteindre cet objectif, nous utilisons une méthodologie de recherche mixte, en se basant sur les projets d’innovations, notamment, de variétés de sorgho et de semoir, dans le secteur de l’agriculture au Mali, et en s’appuyant sur une logique de raisonnement hypothético-déductif et abductif.
Les principaux résultats de cette thèse montrent une relation positive entre l’intensité de participation des utilisateurs dans l’innovation et la probabilité d’adoption de l’innovation. En plus de mettre en évidence de manière dynamique et holistique six principales dimensions de la participation (impacts, étendue, modes, contexte et déterminants de la participation, et types de participants), les résultats de cette thèse amènent aussi à constater que l’innovation frugale émerge de l’intersection entre plusieurs antécédents et se développe grâce à la combinaison de moteurs clés, tels que la frugalité, les capacités de bricolage et la collaboration. Elle a aussi le potentiel d’offrir une solution abordable, accessible, appropriée et qui apporte de la valeur, et de favoriser la durabilité (économique, sociale et environnementale) et la collaboration continue. Ainsi, cette thèse contribue à la littérature sur la gestion de l'innovation, particulièrement axée sur les PVD, en apportant de nouvelles connaissances sur la participation des utilisateurs dans l’innovation et sur l’innovation frugale. Elle apporte aussi un certain nombre d'implications managériales et politiques.
... Notably, in 1999, the government developed a national cocoa development strategy to increase cocoa production from 300,000 metric tons (MT) to 700,000 MT by 2010 (Amoah, 2013). In 2001, the government through its agency, the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), designed another programme named the Cocoa Disease and Pests Control (CODAPEC) programme, primarily to assist in the control of cocoa pests and diseases (Essegbey & Ofori-Gyamfi, 2012). The CODAPEC programme provides free spraying of approved pesticides over one acre of cocoa farm per farm to address incidences of diseases and pests in an effort to curb the declining cocoa output (Anang et al., 2013;Boadu, 2014). ...
Abstract Degradation of socio-ecological production landscapes (SEPLs) triggered
mainly by the impoverishment of biodiversity and the increasing incidence
of climate catastrophes significantly challenges human health and food and nutritional
security. Critical concern needs to be placed on ensuring both human and
ecosystem health and contributing to nutrition-sensitive local food production and
protection of SEPLs. As case points, we describe herein a few interventions and
their impacts in promoting the conservation, cultivation, consumption, and commercial
aspects regarding the medicinal and food plant diversity of a biocultural
diversity hotspot in the Malabar region of India. The local communities of this
region have historically possessed a wide array of local health traditions (LHTs)
and local food baskets (LFBs) based on a landscape approach. Yet, this richness is
being eroded or oversimplified, and as a result, many plants important for their
local food and health value are becoming rare. The need for revitalisation of the
LHTs and LFBs through homestead and landscape-level interventions is discussed
in view of human immunity to infectious diseases. Recommendations are also
suggested to address some of the policy gaps in promoting the sustainable management
of SEPLs.
Keywords Biodiversity · Local health and food traditions · Self-help groups ·
Primary healthcare training · Home nutrition gardens · Immunity
... By the early 1980s, however, productivity had collapsed due to a combination of falling prices, political instability, and drought: in 1983, rampant bush fires destroyed the majority of Ghana's cocoa producing forests. The revival of the cocoa sector began in the 1990s, with growth accelerated in the early 2000s due to an increase in the use of chemical fertilizer and pest protection (Essegbey and Ofori-Gyamfi, 2012;Kolavalli et al. 2012;Mulangu et al. 2017;Abbadi et al. 2019). ...
This research analyses the training needs of cocoa farmers in eight chiefdoms in Kailahun District, Eastern Sierra Leone. The paper is an in depth examination of the training needs of the target population in order to bridge the information gap in the existing literature. The objectives of the research were to describe the socio-economic characteristics of cocoa farmers in Kailahun District, analyse their training preferences in areas of cultivation, harvest, post-harvest and marketing practices taking into consideration what knowledge and skills they need to have, when to have them, where and how to have them and ascertain the perception of cocoa farmers in the district on training. The findings reveal that cocoa is grown by both male and female cocoa farmers, more adults aged 36-55 than youth aged 18-36 and the aged, 55 and above were involved in cocoa production in the district, 85.4% of cocoa farmers in the district were married compared to the widowed, 10%; divorced, 1.9%; and single, 2.7%., almost all the male cocoa farmers were polygamous and had many children as labour sources required for work on the cocoa farms, majority of the farmers have been in cocoa farming for a minimum of five years. More than 50% of the farmers had more than one cocoa plantation, the combined acreage of the cocoa farms owned by more than 50% of the farmers was over five acres per farmer, more cocoa farmers (60%) as opposed to 39.7% accepted having received training on various aspects of cocoa farming, major sources of training received were dealers, colleague cocoa farmers, others like development partners interested in cash crop farming, most of the trainings conducted lasted between 1-4 days (29.8%) and 5-10 days (20.5%), a good number of the farmers claimed to have been trained in many of the areas of cocoa farming, though 31.3% of the farmers claimed not to have received any training, the most preferred training method identified by the farmers was on the farm demonstration, the most preferred time of training was in the morning, more youth and adults claimed to have received training in recent times than the aged, cocoa farmers needed training in sorting of dried cocoa beans, grading, cocoa certification, price determination of cocoa, standard number of shade trees per hectare of cocoa, preferable times for under-brushing, strategies for pest management and reasons for the low price of cocoa from Sierra Leone, cocoa farmers had a positive perception about the following: significance of training for cocoa farmers, appropriate spacing of cocoa trees to increase yield, regular under-brushing of cocoa farms to minimise competition with weeds for nutrients, promote easy movement across the farm, reduce pests and increase yield, cultural justification of child labour, gender imbalance tilted in favour of men, the need for women to know and have a say about the use of proceeds from the sale of cocoa, the need for farmers to produce quality cocoa to attract better prices, the need to ferment and thoroughly dry cocoa to attract better prices, the need for proper waste management on cocoa farms, the need to harvest and break the pods to remove the seeds using the right tools, the need to rehabilitate aging cocoa plantations, and the need to keep cocoa beans in jute bags instead of nylon bags, their perceptions about the following were however negative: child labour, the need to grow cocoa on suitable soil, waste management on cocoa farms and the need for care in harvesting and breaking of cocoa pods and the need to keep cocoa separate from other items among others. It is concluded that cocoa farmers in Kailahun District have had training in several aspects of cocoa farming, but still genuinely have training needs that should be addressed. This is because in the first place, a good number of the farmers have never had an opportunity to be trained in any aspect of cocoa farming. Second, even those who have benefitted from one training or the other still require refresher training or training in other aspects of cocoa farming that they have not received training in. Third, the world is dynamic and as such, new knowledge and farming techniques come up regularly that need to trickle down to farmers in the field so that the required impact is created on the sector. These can be done through training the cocoa farmers. It is recommended that farmers should enroll with adult education institutions for some form of adult education in Numeracy, Literacy, record keeping, soil conservation and other related areas for which training. This, coupled with the training by extension agents can enhance their knowledge and skills in cocoa production, increase the quantity and quality of the yield, raise the quantum of their earnings and their standard of living; the Ministry of Agriculture in collaboration with the Ministry of Technical and Higher Education and development partners in agriculture and technical and higher education should take the lead in providing the training opportunities for cocoa farmers by establishing adult education centres in rural communities so that farmers do not envisage many problems attending the classes; farmers who have proven to be resistant to accepting innovations should be encouraged to adopt new technics, new methods of cocoa production and cultivate new and high yielding cocoa varieties; the Amazon variety was found to be creating the desired impact of cultivation among cocoa farmers in the district.
In this study, we sought to identify some economic shocks that have affected the Ghanaian cocoa industry and the effects of these shocks based on available annual data over the 45--year period from 11975 to 2019. The analysis was conducted using a simple autoregressive model of the cocoa industry. The results of the analysis indicated that the major economic shocks affecting the cocoa industry in Ghana were political instability arising from military coups, producer price shock linked to very high producer prices, the La Cote d'Ivoire civil wars between 2002 to 2007, and 2010 to 2011, which resulted in large-scale smuggling of cocoa beans across the border to Ghana for sale, and the El Nino weather shock characterized by severe droughts and very low amounts of rainfall, which dampened the production of cocoa beans in Ghana. The negative shocks were the El Nino weather phenomenon and political instability. The positive shocks were the very high producer prices and La Cote d'Ivoire civil war. We suggest some recommendations. These include increased resourcing of the Ghana Meteorological Agency to improve its prediction of extreme weather effects whose occurrence affect the production of crops such as cocoa, the establishment of bigger price stabilization funds by the Ghana Cocoa Board to support the cocoa industry, and research studies to analyse the apparent link between dramatic drop in cocoa production and explosive depreciation of the Ghanaian currency, the Ghana cedi.
African agriculture is currently at a crossroads, at which persistent food shortages are compounded by threats from climate change. But, as this book argues, Africa faces three major opportunities that can transform its agriculture into a force for economic growth: advances in science and technology; the creation of regional markets; and the emergence of a new crop of entrepreneurial leaders dedicated to the continent's economic improvement. Filled with case studies from within Africa and success stories from developing nations around the world, The New Harvest outlines the policies and institutional changes necessary to promote agricultural innovation across the African continent. Incorporating research from academia, government, civil society, and private industry, the book suggests multiple ways that individual African countries can work together at the regional level to develop local knowledge and resources, harness technological innovation, encourage entrepreneurship, increase agricultural output, create markets, and improve infrastructure.
National systems of innovation (NSIs) make many assumptions concerning the nature of the actors, their competence, habits and practices with regard to the linkages that lead to learning and innovation, all of which are common in advanced countries. In developing countries many of these assumptions are called into question. This paper explores the utility of an innovation system approach to developing countries bearing this proviso in mind. With illustrations from telecommunications and automobile industries, the paper focuses upon the need to integrate the role of transnational corporations and international rules and disciplines into such an approach and to examine more closely the way in which local clusters can be transformed into innovation systems.
A European interlaboratory study was conducted to validate an analytical procedure for the detection and quantification of cocoa butter equivalents in cocoa butter and plain chocolate. In principle, the fat obtained from plain chocolate according to the Soxhlet principle is separated by high-resolution capillary gas chromatography into triacylglycerol fractions according to their acyl-C-numbers, and within a given number, also according to unsaturation. The presence of cocoa butter equivalents is detected by linear regression analysis applied to the relative proportions of the 3 main triacylglycerol fractions of the fat analyzed. The amount of the cocoa butter equivalent admixture is estimated by partial least-squares regression analysis applied to the relative proportions of the 5 main triacylglycerols. Cocoa butter equivalent admixtures were detected down to a level of 2% related to the fat phase, corresponding to 0.6% in chocolate (assumed fat content of chocolate, 30%), without false-positive or -negative results. By using a quantification model based on partial least-squares regression analysis, the predicted cocoa butter equivalent amounts were in close agreement with the actual values. The applied model performed well at the level of the statutory limit of 5% cocoa butter equivalent addition to chocolate with a prediction error of 0.6%, assuming a chocolate fat content of 30%.
An Analysis of the direction in which Ghana’s policy makers will need to steer the economy for Ghana to fulfil the promise of its independence over 50 years ago. As Ghana enters its second half-century there is a widespread perception of failure of the economic and political system in delivering improved living standards to the population. As Ghana enters its second half-century there is a widespread perception of failure of the economic and political system in delivering improved living standards to the population. This failure comes despite a solid transition to democracy, despite a recorded recovery from the economic malaise of previous decades and despite a reduction on measured levels of poverty. The contributors in this book analyse the reasons for this failure and sets out an analytical agenda as the basis of the course that the nations’ policy makers will have to steer if Ghana is to fulfil the promise of its independence in 1957. ERNEST ARYEETEY is Director of the Institute of Statistical, Social & Economic Research, University of Ghana at Legon; RAVI KANBUR is Professor of Economics at Cornell University. The contributors include: Ernest Aryeetey, Ravi Kanbur, Tony Killick, Augustin Fosu, Charles E. Youngblood, David L. Franklin, Stephen Kyereme, Frank W. Agbola, Susanna Wolf, Daniel Bruce Sarpong, Peter Quartey, Theresa Blankson, Thierry Buchs, Johan Mathiesen, William F. Steel, David O. Andah, Harold Coulombe, Anthony Tsekpo, Charles D. Jebuni, Andy Mckay, Nii K.Sowa, Kojo Appiah-Kubi, Abena Oduro, Bernadin Senadza, Felix A. Asante, Joseph R.A. Ayee, Kwabena Gyimah-Brempong, Elizabeth N. Appiah, Niels-Hugo Blunch, G.J.M. Van Den Boom, N.N.N. Nsowah-Nuamah, and, G.B. Overbosch.
Recent empirical evidence across countries shows a substantial and increasing return to IT investment. New technologies open up opportunities for small firms to expand their markets beyond national borders. This books looks specifically at ICT adoption and learning trajectories in developing countries; a context characterized by skill deficiencies and weak institutional support. The authors employ a systemic theoretical framework and a variety of research techniques to present firm-level evidence on learning in firms in an Internet-based production environment. The book arrives at a typology of firms on the basis of technological capability and learning trajectories. It identifies systemic and institutional factors that foster the adoption of technologies and goes on to analyse these factors in a multivariate econometric framework. This book is an invaluable addition to the literature on small firms and economic development.
The State of the Ghanaian Economy in 2010
ISSER, " The State of the Ghanaian Economy in 2010, "
Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research,
University of Ghana, Legon, 2011.