Production of Acacia auriculiformis A. Cunn. ex Benth. for reforestation in southern Benin

The viability of Acacia auriculiformis production system in southern Benin was studied from an analytical perspective combining the production techniques and the financial profitability. The driving research question was as follows: "Will the nurseries be able to supply the seedlings suited to successful reforestation programmes?" A survey was carried out among nursery holders in the Atlantique Department. The snowball sampling method enabled to survey 55 nursery holders, based on semi-structured interviews. Respondents provided data on the organisation of production, production techniques, production costs, and sales revenues. There were two types of nurseries: individual nurseries and collective nurseries. The stages of acacia seedlings production were as follows: seed collection, dormancy breaking, sowing, and cares for young seedlings. Overall, the production techniques used by nursery holders were effective. The net revenue for 1000 seedlings ranged between XOF 9000 and 26000. Collective nurseries had lower production costs, hence higher revenues, compared to individual nurseries. It is essential to support nursery holders through capacity strengthening training and the availability of good quality seeds

Importance Socio-Économique De Xylopia Aethiopica (Dun) A. Rich. Pour Les Populations Du Sud-Bénin

Xylopia aethiopica is a multi-purpose Non Timber Forest Product (NTFP) which products are consumed across Africa. This study aimed at generating useful information to support the sustainable management of Xylopia aethiopica in southern Benin. A survey was carried out to interview 122 stakeholders, including consumers and traders. Data were collected on the consumption of Xylopia aethiopica products, the income generated by their marketing, and the management the species trees by local people. As results, the species was mainly used in traditional medicine. Other forms of consumption included: spiritual rituals, fuelwood, food, and construction timber. Among Xylopia aethiopica products, the fruits were the most commercialized. The stakeholders operating in the commercialization system were: collectors, processors-wholesalers, and retailers. The gross margin per 100 kg of fruits averaged XOF 4500 for collectors and processors- wholesalers, and XOF 2500 for retailers. Xylopia aethiopica trees were privately managed based on land ownership. Given the decrease of the species, because of over-exploitation and cultural beliefs, the sensitizing of local people and the promotion of domestication are expected to support its conservatio

Facteurs déterminants de la volonté des petits pêcheurs d'adopter la cogestion des droits de propriété dans le complexe lagunaire du lac Nokoué et de Porto-Novo au sud-est du Bénin.

peer reviewedThe estuarian and lagoon areas of southeast Benin are atypical lake territories where private property rights are hereditary from endogenous legal tradition. People live in stilt dwellings and are exclusively dedicated to free-to-access fishing. Consequently, an increasing number of fishers with low respect for the State’s general rules for sustainable fishing contribute to legal pluralism and the tragedy of the commons. Co-management of small-scale fisheries has been advocated to offer various benefits, including improved socio-ecological integration, shared sustainable livelihoods, and adherence to biodiversity objectives. This study aims to assess the factors that influence the willingness of small-scale fishers to adopt property rights co-management options in southeast Benin. The data were collected using the discrete choice experiment method. The results show that 44% of fishers are willing to adopt property rights co-management options. This willingness is determined by their involvement in the co-management committee, access to a subsidy and livelihood diversification options. These fishers are the oldest in the sample and primarily owners of Acadja, a traditional fishing tool made of bush and tree branches planted in the lake. Institutional agreements for co-management establishment, such as subsidies to support small-scale fishers’ livelihood diversification and capacity-building, must be set up to achieve co-management goals.14. Life below wate

Facteurs déterminants de la volonté des pêcheurs artisanaux d'adopter la cogestion des droits de propriété dans le complexe lac Nokoué et lagune de Porto-Novo au Bénin : Approche par une expérience de choix discret

The estuarian and lagoon areas of southern Benin are an atypical lake territory where private property rights are inherited from endogenous law. In this area, people live in stilt dwellings and exclusively for free-to-access fishing. Consequently, an increasing number of fishers with low respect for the State’ general rules for fishing sustainability contribute to the tragedy of commons. Co-management of small-scale fisheries has been advocated to offer various benefits, including improved socio-ecological integration, shared sustainable livelihoods and adherence to biodiversity objectives. This study aims to assess the factors that influence the willingness of small-scale fishers to adopt property rights co-management options in southern Benin. We interviewed a random sample of 277 small-scale fishers. The data collected using the Discrete Choice Experiment were analysed using mixed and latent class logit models. The results show that only 44% of fishers are willing to adopt property rights co-management options. This willingness to adopt is determined by their involvement in the co-management committee, access to a subsidy and livelihood diversification options. However, they would prefer to keep the area of water granted as small as possible, even if they are motivated to contribute to more open space on the water bodies. These fishers are primarily owners of Acadja, members of fishers’ associations, and are the oldest in the sample. Institutional agreements for co-management establishment, subsidies to support small-scale fishers’ livelihood diversification and capacity-building must be set up to reduce their fishing time and ensure fishery viability.6. Clean water and sanitatio

Plantations de teck, Tectona grandis L.f., en sylviculture paysanne au Sud-Bénin

peer reviewedThis article used the farming system framework to characterise smallholder plantings of teak, Tectona grandis L.f., in southern Benin. The intention of this study was to show the policy line best suited to capturing the potential of smallholder forestry. The specific question addressed was as follows: how do smallholder farmers manage to integrate tree growing on their farms? Empirical assessments were based on a sample of 221 farmers selected through a cluster sampling procedure in five municipalities in the Atlantic district. Data were collected from face-to-face interviews based on a standardised questionnaire. A multivariate approach associating cluster analysis and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was used to build a typology of teak planting systems. This was based on production objectives, the teak plantation area, overall farm size and the contribution of family labour to timber production. The study enabled to identify three planting systems related to different strategies for integrating teak planting on smallholdings. These planting systems were classified as “small - labour dominant” (33.48% of the sample), “medium - capital dominant” (37.56%), and “large - capital dominant” (28.96%). The farmers specialised in pole-wood production to supply urban demand for cheap construction timber in the region. The first three motivations for growing teak were to earn income, to satisfy household timber needs and to secure title to the land; however, the ranking of the last two motivations was reversed among farmers in the “large - capital dominant” planting system. Secure land tenure and the existence of a domestic market outlet are essential to successful development of on-farm tree growing.Cette étude se place dans le cadre du système agricole pour caractériser les modes de culture du teck, Tectona grandis L.f., sur les petites exploitations au Sud Bénin, avec pour objectif de cerner des orientations politiques à même de valoriser le potentiel de la sylviculture paysanne. La question posée est la suivante : par quels moyens les petits agriculteurs intègrent-ils la sylviculture sur leurs exploitations ? Une évaluation empirique a été menée en se basant sur un échantillon de 221 petits exploitants sélectionnés par échantillonnage en grappes sur cinq communes du département de l’Atlantique. Les données ont été recueillies par le biais d’entretiens en tête-à-tête à l’aide d’un questionnaire standardisé. Une approche à variable multiples associant analyse typologique et analyse en composante principale (Acp) a permis d’établir une typologie des systèmes de plantation du teck. Cette typologie se base sur les critères suivants : objectifs de production, superficies plantées en teck, taille de l’exploitation et contribution de la main-d’oeuvre familiale à la production de bois. L’étude a permis d’identifier trois systèmes de plantation associés aux différentes stratégies d’intégration d’une activité de sylviculture paysanne. Ces trois systèmes ont été classés selon les critères suivants : « petite taille à main-d’œuvre dominante » (33,48 % de l’échantillon), « taille moyenne à capital dominant » (37,56 %), et « grande taille à capital dominant» (28,96 %). Les exploitants se spécialisent dans la production de perches pour satisfaire la demande régionale de bois d’oeuvre à bas prix pour la construction urbaine. Les trois raisons principales motivant l’intégration des plantations de teck sont, dans l’ordre, la recherche de revenus, la satisfaction des besoins en bois de construction des ménages et la sécurisation des titres fonciers. Cependant, l’ordre des deux dernières est inversé dans le cas du système « grande taille à capital dominant ». La sécurité foncière et l’existence d’un marché domestique sont indispensables pour réussir le développement d’une sylviculture paysanne

Sociotechnical Context and Agroecological Transition for Smallholder Farms in Benin and Burkina Faso

West Africa is facing the challenge of its population’s food insecurity in a context of accelerated degradation of natural resources. In order to efficiently face this double bottleneck, agroecological interventions were implemented as a way to promote best agricultural practices. Agroecology is a mode of production that nowadays questions our food system which, despite technological progress, still struggles to feed the world’s population. This systematic review is part of the vision of a deep agroecology and aims at analyzing the institutional, political, organizational, and social obstacles and levers for an agroecological transition and its amplification in Burkina Faso and Benin. For this purpose, a structured literature review was conducted using grey and published literature. It appears that despite the mitigated results of the implementation of the Green Revolution model of agricultural production in West Africa, African public authorities seem to have placed once again their faith in conventional production practices to respond to the challenges facing agriculture in the region. This situation goes beyond the regional framework to take root at the national level, (e.g., Burkina Faso, Benin), with the corollary of an apparent lack of institutional interest in sustainable modes of production. However, there is a network of stakeholders who are developing promising initiatives for scaling up agroecological practice