Adoption des Technologies Agro-Écologiques : Perception et Préférence des Agriculteurs de la Zone Cotonnière du Bénin

La promotion des pratiques agro-écologiques est devenue l’une des options favorables pouvant contribuer durablement à la gestion des sols et à la préservation des écosystèmes pour la sécurité alimentaire et nutritionnelle dans le contexte actuel des changements climatiques. Cette étude vise à analyser la perception et la préférence des producteurs sur les pratiques agroécologiques innovantes promues dans le cadre du « projet d’appui à la Transition Agro-écologique dans les Zones Cotonnières du Bénin (TAZCO) ». Pour faciliter l’adoption de telles technologies par les producteurs, il faut agir sur les déterminants qui leurs sont favorables. La perception étant un déterminant de l’adoption et la présente étude a été réalisée pour proposer par commune, au moins cinq technologies pour lesquelles les producteurs ont une bonne préférence. Cette étude a été conduite dans la zone d’intervention du TAZCO, constituée de Banikoara, Kandi, Oussa-Péhunco, Parakou et Savalou. En utilisant la méthode d’échantillonnage aléatoire avec le paramètre de disponibilité des producteurs impliqués, 282 producteurs ont été enquêtés lors de la collecte des données parmi les 300 impliqués dans la phase pilote du projet. Les données ont été collectées à l’aide d’un questionnaire structuré, développé sur smartphones avec l’application ‘’KoBocollect’’. Ces données ont été analysées à l’aide de méthode multicritère d’aide à la décision et une liste de cinq technologies variant d’une zone à l’autre a été établie. L’étude a montré que les technologies de la famille « Gestion Intégrée de la Fertilité du Sol » et « Gestion Intégrée Agriculture-Elevage » viennent en tête dans la majorité des zones d’intervention 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 producers’ 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 producers’ favorable preference. The study was conducted in the area covered by TAZCO activities (Banikoara, Kandi, Oussa-Péhunco, Parakou and Savalou). Using the random sampling method with producers involved’s 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

When baobab flowers and rainmakers define the season : Farmers’ perceptions and adaptation strategies to climate change in West Africa.

Climate change is affecting the livelihoods of rural African populations. In fact, farmers, whose livelihoods depend on agriculture, are likely to bear the brunt of climate change impacts. The extent to which these impacts are felt depends in large part on the extent of adaptation in response to climate change. The aim ofthis paper is to assess Beninese farmers‟ perceptions on climate and adaptation strategies for information and knowledge that may guide decision making and draw the attention on the need to integrate local knowledge in climate adaptation. Focus group discussions and semi-structured interviews were organized with 51 farmers representing diverse farming experiences and farmland positions. In order to make the link between farmers‟ perception on the seasons prediction regarding to plant observation, we identified and observed phenology phases of five Baobab and five cashew plants based on their geographical distribution in the study area. Collected data were analyzed by using the agricultural adaptation and perception model and the dynamic system of knowledge, perception and adaptation. The study shows that farmers have different perceptions of climate change, but at the same time are almost unanimous about the changing of rainfall frequency, which is described as “rain seasons start late and end early”. The study revealed that the Baobab plants flowering phase seems to coincide with the rainy season and confirmed farmers‟ knowledge about good rainy season detecting. The article further lays outthat farmers have developed a range of adaptation strategies, which are situated within the three distinguished spaces; the space of agricultural practices, the space of livelihood diversification, and the space of local culture and learning. The study suggests that understanding farmer‟s perceptions and practices and using them as a starting point for adaptation to climate change could help policy makers to formulate sustainable adaptation strategies