The bitter taste of cacao:

Abstract

Cacao farmers’ disengagement has gained recognition for addressing their social, financial, and environmental difficulties while pursuing financial stability. This qualitative study sought to unwrap the reasons behind the farmers’ disengagement. It aimed to know the factors that caused this phenomenon, the ineffective methods to resolve these problems, the importance of seminars in disseminating information, and recognize the farmers’ gripes towards cacao farming. This study utilized a purposive sampling method to gather nine farmers from Calinan of District III in Davao City. A semi-structured interview format was used to collect data, which was analyzed through a thematic approach. Moreover, the factors contributing to farmers’ disengagement were the laborious process of cacao farming, low yield and challenging marketing strategies, and dealing with cacao diseases and infestations. The ineffective methods applied as interventions to these factors were eliminating and disposing of sick pods, as well as pruning, wrapping, and spraying. The importance of government-initiated technical assistance in disseminating information was also discussed. The farmers’ gripes toward cacao farming were its expensiveness and laborious aspect, low-income and low-yield return, limited access to government technical assistance, unpredictable weather, and lack of labor force. This study provided valuable insights to the Department of Agriculture, cacao farmers and aspiring farmers, the finance sector, and local investors and stakeholders. This study addressed these challenges, which provided a foundation for future research and policy initiatives to promote sustainable cacao farming in the Philippines.