Social Science & Statistics

The Social Science and Statistics Unit (SSSU) was set up 1990, initially as a Farming Systems/ Statistics Unit (FSSU) with the assistance from the Overseas Development Administration (ODA), United Kingdom (UK), now and the Department for International Development (DFID, UK). The main functions of the unit are to introduce socio–economic perspectives into CRIG research activities.

Currently functions of the unit include:

• Experimental design for technical field investigations.
• Design of on–farm verification trials for promising technologies.
• Interpretation of trial results in term of their profitability and implications on the national economic and farmer incomes.
• Assessment of cost effectiveness of trial proposals.
• Conduct socio-economic studies aimed at identifying farmer perceptions of constraints and new technologies.
• Gender studies and implications for labour productivity in cocoa farming.

Achievements

Multidisciplinary Research

The SSSU has contributed immensely to the research development programme of the institute by providing socio-economic analysis in addition to the technical content. The unit is represented on all multidisciplinary research groups or thrust, including Entomology, Management, Establishment, Black Pod, Cocoa Swollen Shoot Virus Disease, New Products Development, and Cocoa Improvement thrusts.

Completed projects include:

• The Offinso study – Adoption survey of CRIG research recommendations – 1991
• The MASDAR study – A socio-economic study of cocoa-farming communities in Ghana – 1998. In conjunction with MASDAR International Consultants, UK
• An analysis of gender issues in Ghanaian cocoa – 2003
• An analysis of the mistletoe problem in Ghanaian cocoa – 1998, in conjunction with NRI, UK
• Perceptions of Agriculture: A study of two villages in Suhum district, Eastern Region of Ghana (with ICRA, Netherlands), 1994.
• Benefit-Cost analysis of CRIG recommended technologies in relation to farmer adoption patterns and implications for the cocoa industry in Ghana – 1992

Key Staff

Name	Position	Specialization
Mr. Francis Aneani Email: faneani@crig.org	Research Officer (Ag. Head)	Agricultural Economist
Dr. Francis Baah Email: achamfour1966@gmail.com	Research Officer	Extension Systems Specialist
Mr. Vincent Anchirinah Email: adwapanyin@crig.org	Research Officer	Agricultural Economics
Mrs. Mercy Asamoah Email: mrcyasamoah@yahoo.com           masamoah@crig.org	Research Officer	Rural Sociologist
Mr. Frank Owusu-Ansah Email: bywasahad@yahoo.com           foansah@crig.org	Research Officer	Biometrician