Local Knowledge and the Adoption of Science Knowledge in Cocoa Cultivation Community in East Kolaka Regency

This study aims to analyze the existence of local farming knowledge by cacao farmers community and their integration with science knowledge from outside.The results showed that local knowledge in cacao cultivation is based on customs and traditions as well as the insistence of family life which has been the custom of farmers and then processes through repetitions which then form a farming experience. Science knowledge in cacao cultivation is formed based on the response to the decline in productions and user preferences and the inovation in farming technology which is introduced to users through technology transfer by researchers, extension agents and plantation assistants. The acceleration of technological innovation by the government was not followed by the speed and utilization of science knowledge by cacao farmers, and the weaknesses are in the delivery subsystem and the recipient subsystem. It takes a continuous bridge between research institutions as suppliers of science technology/ knowledge with their users, so that the resulting science knowledge is guaranteed to be followed by users on an ongoing basis.