This article describes the interaction between producers of cocoa and academic researchers, research funding agencies and non-human actors such as fungi along the spread and the attempts to contain the witch's broom disease in Bahia state, Brazil. The analysis of this case, using a constructivist approach in sociology of science, seeks to illustrate how the production of knowledge is multifaceted, occurs at the interface of different institutional spaces and passes through moments of resistance and conflict as it incorporates new actors and transits such spaces. A discussion list by internet emerged as a medium able to bring together diverse groups of stakeholders and promote the collective production of knowledge.
Witch's broom disease; Cacao; Actor-Network Theory (ART); Sociology of Science