Abstract

The study examined the awareness and adoption intensity of Agro-Ecosystem Analysis (AESA) techniques among cocoa farmers in Southwestern Nigeria. A multistage sampling procedure was used to select 300 cocoa farmers, and data were collected on awareness, adoption intensity, and factors influencing AESA adoption using a structured interview schedule. Data was analysed using descriptive statistics (frequency counts, percentages, means, and standard deviations) and multiple regression analysis. The results revealed generally high awareness of AESA techniques, particularly for farm hygiene and sanitation (95.0%), planting of resistant cocoa varieties (95.0%), and safety precautions in pesticide application (94.7%). Adoption patterns showed selective uptake of AESA practices, with higher adoption for farm sanitation (39.3%), planting resistant varieties (36.3%), and responsible pesticide use (35.3%). However, more analytically demanding practices, such as pest monitoring and understanding vulnerable pest stages, recorded lower adoption. The Tried/Practised Index (0.367) and grand mean adoption score (1.097) indicate partial rather than comprehensive implementation of AESA techniques. Multiple regression results showed that the age of the cocoa farm (? = 0.233), cocoa farm size (? = –0.268), and membership of farmers’ organisations (? = –0.173) significantly influenced AESA adoption. These findings suggest that AESA adoption is driven more by structural and institutional factors than by knowledge alone. The study recommends strengthening experiential AESA training, promoting farmer organisation membership, and aligning extension strategies with farm characteristics to enhance sustainable and climate-smart cocoa production in Nigeria.

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