The adoption problem is a matter of fit: tracing the travel of pruning practices from research to farm in Ghana’s cocoa sector

Abstract Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) are central to sustainability standards and certification programmes in the global cocoa chain. Pruning is one of practices promoted extension services associated with these efforts. Yet concerns exist about low adoption rate GAPs by smallholder farmers Ghana. A common approach addressing this challenge based on creating enabling conditions offering appropriate incentives. We use concepts inscription affordance trace vertically coordinated travel recommended pruning from research farming sites, describe how carried out differently at each site. Our analysis suggests that enactments site reduce number options space for interactions, constrains making practice meaningful farmers’ repertoires. The conventions guiding legitimising actions site, reinforced standards, schemes inspections audits, favour standardised recommendations consequently narrow room context-specific diagnostics adaptions. Therefore, we reframe problem as a matter fit between different sites ‘agricultural value chain’ embedded operational contribution problematises dominant framing highlights movement sequential enactment constrain affordances available rendering Consequently, uptake requires institutional work towards can construct along agricultural