9.5 Better communication
Pesticides have been “off the agenda” not only in research, but also in many farmer training initiatives. Responsible and scientific pesticide use must be put back on these curricula. Although the de-emphasis of pesticides in publicly-funded programes is highly understandable, the loss of pesticide-use skills at the farm and extension service levels has been alarming.
Booklets such as this and farmer training programes can only provide guidance - they will only be truly effective under a proactive implementation policy framework in cocoa growing countries.
