Does Belonging to a Farmer Organization Improve Extension Access? A Study of Cocoa Farmers in Fako Division, Cameroon

Abstract

The literature on farmer-organization membership and access to agricultural extension services (AES) reports mixed findings, motivating further empirical study. This paper examines whether membership in farmer organizations (FOs) improves access to AES among cocoa farmers in Fako Division, Cameroon. Using structured questionnaires, primary data were collected from 396 randomly selected cocoa farmers. Descriptive statistics were first used to summarise sample characteristics (including FO membership status and gender) and the distribution of AES access. To address the specific objectives, a chi-square test was used to evaluate the bivariate association between FO membership and AES access, and a binary logistic regression was used to assess the effect of FO membership on AES access while controlling for education, farm size, age, and gender. Results show a large disparity in AES access: 83.5% of FO members reported access to extension services compared to 34.8% of non-members (difference ≈ 49 percentage points). The chi-square test confirmed a strong association between FO membership and AES access (χ² = 57.82, p < .001). The logistic regression model was statistically significant, χ²(5) = 116.45, p < .001, with a Nagelkerke R² of 0.42, indicating that the predictors explained about 42% of the variance in AES access. FO membership was the strongest predictor (B = 1.84, SE = 0.28, OR = 6.30, p < .001), meaning members were over six times more likely to access AES than non-members. Years of education also had a positive and significant effect on AES access (B = 0.11, SE = 0.04, OR = 1.12, p = .008), while farm size showed a marginal effect (B = 0.07, SE = 0.03, OR = 1.07, p = .089). Age (B = –0.01, p = .215) and gender (coded 1 = Male; B = 0.15, p = .495) were not significant predictors. The Conclusion was that membership in farmer organizations substantially increases cocoa farmers’ likelihood of accessing agricultural extension services in Fako Division, and education further improves farmers’ ability to obtain those services. Based on these findings, we recommend strengthening of farmer organizations, promoting inclusive membership, and formally integrating FOs into extension delivery systems to improve the equity and effectiveness of service access.