4 research outputs found
Adoption des Technologies Agro-Ăcologiques : Perception et PrĂ©fĂ©rence des Agriculteurs de la Zone CotonniĂšre du BĂ©nin
La promotion des pratiques agro-Ă©cologiques est devenue lâune des options favorables pouvant contribuer durablement Ă la gestion des sols et Ă la prĂ©servation des Ă©cosystĂšmes pour la sĂ©curitĂ© alimentaire et nutritionnelle dans le contexte actuel des changements climatiques. Cette Ă©tude vise Ă analyser la perception et la prĂ©fĂ©rence des producteurs sur les pratiques agroĂ©cologiques innovantes promues dans le cadre du « projet dâappui Ă la Transition Agro-Ă©cologique dans les Zones CotonniĂšres du BĂ©nin (TAZCO) ». Pour faciliter lâadoption de telles technologies par les producteurs, il faut agir sur les dĂ©terminants qui leurs sont favorables. La perception Ă©tant un dĂ©terminant de lâadoption et la prĂ©sente Ă©tude a Ă©tĂ© rĂ©alisĂ©e pour proposer par commune, au moins cinq technologies pour lesquelles les producteurs ont une bonne prĂ©fĂ©rence. Cette Ă©tude a Ă©tĂ© conduite dans la zone dâintervention du TAZCO, constituĂ©e de Banikoara, Kandi, Oussa-PĂ©hunco, Parakou et Savalou. En utilisant la mĂ©thode dâĂ©chantillonnage alĂ©atoire avec le paramĂštre de disponibilitĂ© des producteurs impliquĂ©s, 282 producteurs ont Ă©tĂ© enquĂȘtĂ©s lors de la collecte des donnĂ©es parmi les 300 impliquĂ©s dans la phase pilote du projet. Les donnĂ©es ont Ă©tĂ© collectĂ©es Ă lâaide dâun questionnaire structurĂ©, dĂ©veloppĂ© sur smartphones avec lâapplication ââKoBocollectââ. Ces donnĂ©es ont Ă©tĂ© analysĂ©es Ă lâaide de mĂ©thode multicritĂšre dâaide Ă la dĂ©cision et une liste de cinq technologies variant dâune zone Ă lâautre a Ă©tĂ© Ă©tablie. LâĂ©tude a montrĂ© que les technologies de la famille « Gestion IntĂ©grĂ©e de la FertilitĂ© du Sol » et « Gestion IntĂ©grĂ©e Agriculture-Elevage » viennent en tĂȘte dans la majoritĂ© des zones dâintervention du TAZCO.
Agro-ecological practices promotion become one of the favorable options that can sustainably contribute to soil management and ecosystem preservation for food and nutrition security under climate change context. This study aims to analyze producersâ perception and preference on agro-ecological practices promoted by TAZCO project (Agro-ecological Transition in Benin Cotton Areas). To facilitate promoted technologies adoption by producers, it is necessary to act on determinants affecting thempositively. Based on the fact that perception is one of the technology adoption determinants, the study was carried out to suggesting each of the municipalities involved in the study at least five technologies which received producersâ favorable preference. The study was conducted in the area covered by TAZCO activities (Banikoara, Kandi, Oussa-PĂ©hunco, Parakou and Savalou). Using the random sampling method with producers involvedâs availability parameter, 282 producers over to the 300 involved in the pilot project were interwied during data collecting. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire developed under ''Kobocollect'' application on smartphones. The multi-criteria decision-support method was used to analyze collected data and a list of five technologies varying from one zone to another was established. The study showed that the technologies named "IntegratedManagement of Soil Fertility" and "Integrated Management Agriculture-Livestock" revealed to be the most important in the majority of TAZCO intervention areas
Community perception of biodiversity conservation within protected areas in Benin
Commitment of local communities to protected areas is essential for conserving biodiversity. However, in many developing countries like Benin, former management strategies kept human from protected areas using coercion. Fortunately, more recent regimes attempt to give local populations more control on the management but little is known about local residents' perceptions, beliefs and attitudes toward the management of these areas. This study, carried out around the Pendjari National Park, determined factors which support local communities' positive perceptions towards biodiversity conservation in the park, analysed their assessment of current park management activities compared to former management approaches and draw the implications for effective participatory management of protected areas. We collected socio-demographic data from 164 residents on their awareness of conservation methods. We used Stepwise Discriminant Analysis to differentiate the variables that had the greatest power for discriminating between local residents' perception to conserve or not biodiversity and to manage the park. The findings indicated that the positive behavior of local communities towards conservation of biodiversity within Pendjari National Park was highly correlated with the current management strategy that involved more effectively local communities, the educational level of participants and their geographical origins. Participants' perceptions of biodiversity conservation were strongly related to locally perceived benefits. Although 89% of participants were favorable to the concept of biodiversity conservation within the park, the decision to ban encroachments due to agricultural activities increased negative opinion on this park management option. Our results suggested that understanding local residents' perceptions and using them as a starting point to improve the park-people relationship could help park management staff to involve more effectively local communities and improve their awareness about biodiversity conservation within the park.Benin Biodiversity conservation Pendjari National Park Local communities People perception Resource use
Ethnic differences in use value and use patterns of the threatened multipurpose scrambling shrub (Caesalpinia bonduc L.) in Benin
African communities traditionally use medicinal plants for their primary healthcare. To ensure the sustainable use of these species one of the crucial issues is to document African communitiesâ indigenous medicinal knowledge. To achieve this goal, the present study evaluated the use frequency and the knowledge of local Beninese communities on the endangered scrambling shrub (Caesalpinia bonduc). Results revealed that local populations use 20 properties from the leaves, roots and seeds of the species to fight against childbirth, to treat burns and for cultural practices like games, weddings and the FĂą ritual. The global credibility level of these properties equalled to 75%, indicating that C. bonduc is perceived as very important for local populations. Roots are more intensively used than leaves and seed respectively. The study clearly showed ethnic and age differences in use value and patterns of the species. For example, Kotafon ethnic group had a fair knowledge on the species while Fon and Bariba ethnic groups hold the lowest number of users
Assessing the impact of the wildlife trade in West Africa (Benin): Functional diversity matters too
We tackle the potential impact of bushmeat markets (BM) and traditional medicine markets (TMM) on the functional diversity of mammalian communities in southern Benin, West Africa. A hybrid approach combining direct observations, DNA-typing and questionnaires allowed us to identify 94 species-level taxa across 11 mammalian orders, the greatest ever reported numbers for African wildlife markets. TMM sold species of high conservation concern or regulated by international conventions and sourced among all the taxonomic orders and bioclimatic zones of the country. BM were taxonomically and functionally 100% nested within TMM. However, functional richness was high in both markets, impacting nine diet specializations and five ecological functions, which included seed dispersion (frugivores, folivores and omnivores), prey regulation (carnivores and invertivores), browsing (folivores), grazing (omnivores) and fertilization (nectarivores). TMM likely jeopardized the regulatory, structural and production functions of the sourced ecosystems as they sold species with the greatest body weights and generation lengths, and smallest litter sizes, including large herbivores and keystone predators. BM, despite their restricted range, sourced among a non-selective taxonomic and functional spectrum and as such, also represent a significant threat to ecosystem functioning in southern Benin. The functional database that we provide can serve as a starting point to pursue the quantification of functional diversity in African mammals and further investigate the impact of wildlife markets on ecosystem functioning in tropical Africa. Overall, long-term surveys of the two types of wildlife markets are needed to accurately quantify the threat they constitute to mammalian biodiversity and the sustainability of ecosystem services