Co-production of Knowledge in Multi-stakeholder Processes: Analyzing Joint Experimentation as Social Learning

Purpose: Changing research design and methodologies regarding how researchers articulate with end-users of technology is an important consideration in developing sustainable agricultural practices. This paper analyzes a joint experiment as a multi-stakeholder process and contributes to understand how the way of organizing social learning affects stakeholders’ ownership of process outcomes. Design/Methodology/Approach:A learning group composed of the different stakeholders of the oil palm seed system in Benin was set around a joint experiment. We use a detailed account of the group dynamics to understand the social process. Findings: The way the process is designed and conducted has a great effect on the ownership by the participants. Methodological steps taken in this research process showed its efficacy to produce quick and positive feedback mechanisms. Stakeholders’ perspectives on what constitutes a quality oil palm seedling varied widely. Participants, mainly nursery holders, learned new production practices. Representatives of the research center learned a mismatch of recommendations with users’ contexts. Field observations further to the process indicate changes in practices among stakeholders that would be sustainable. Practical Implications: Beyond focusing on outcomes, initiatives in multi-stakeholder processes should also document and analyze social processes in order to better understand the mechanisms by which such processes foster socio-technical change, as well as identify potential institutional barriers to such processes. Originality/Value: Through a detailed analysis of group dynamics, this paper addresses an important knowledge gap in participatory agricultural development

PERCEPTION DES PERTURBATIONS CLIMATIQUES, SAVOIRS LOCAUX ET STRATÉGIES D’ADAPTATION DES PRODUCTEURS AGRICOLES BÉNINOIS

The diagnosis made on the effects of climate change in Benin shows that drought, late and violent rains and floods are three major climatic risks. The profound effects of climate change on agriculture, coupled with low resilience and high vulnerability of populations to shocks, could significantly reduce their capacity of managing natural resources and, thus, impair their livelihoods, food security and welfare. It becomes imperative to understand the efforts of farmers to cope with climate changes that affect them. This study focuses on understanding of local populations on the manifestations of climate change; its sensible effects in the agricultural landscape and the measures they can develop to cope with climate change. The study is also based on others studies conducted on 260 farmers in the South region (Adjohoun, Dangbo, Lokossa and Athiémé) and the central region (Glazoué and Savalou) in various agro-ecological zones of Benin. Results from these studies showed that populations in the most vulnerable agro-ecological zones recognized climate phenomena essentially based on locally built knowl- edge. Indeed, several local concepts, adages and proverbs are used by rural communities to characterize the observed changes. To cope with these changes, a variety of strategies are developed locally by producers in Southern and Central Benin according to their socio-economic conditions. The knowledge of the mechanisms leading to their development in Benin includes elements that could form the basis for agricultural policies that can ensure food security despite environmental perturbations observed currently in southern and central Benin.Le diagnostic fait sur les effets du changement climatique au Bénin, montre que la sécheresse, les pluies tardives et violentes et les inondations sont trois risques climatiques majeurs. Les effets profonds du changement climatique sur l’agriculture, couplés avec la faible résilience et la grande vulnérabilité des populations aux chocs, pourraient réduire considérablement leur capacité de gestion des ressources naturelles et altérer ainsi leurs moyens d’existence, leur sécurité alimentaire et leur bien-être. Il devient impérieux de mieux comprendre les efforts déployés par les cultivateurs pour faire face aux changements climatiques qui les affectent. La présente étude s’intéresse à la compréhension qu’ont les populations locales des manifestations des changements climatiques, de ses effets perceptibles dans le paysage agraire et les mesures qu’elles développent pour y faire face. Elle est basée sur des études qui ont été menées sur 260 producteurs au sud (Adjohoun, Dangbo, Lokossa et Athiémé) et au centre (Glazoué et Savalou) dans diverses zones agro-écologiques du Bénin. Les résultats de ces études ont montré que les populations des zones agro-écologiques les plus vulnérables ont une lecture des phénomènes climatiques essentiellement fondée sur des savoirs localement construits. En effet, plusieurs concepts locaux, adages et proverbes sont utilisés par les communautés rurales pour caractériser les changements observés. Pour y faire face, une variété de stratégies sont localement développées par les producteurs du Sud et du Centre Bénin en fonction de leurs conditions socio-économiques. La connaissance des mécanismes ayant conduit à leur mise au point au Bénin sont des éléments qui pourraient servir de base à des politiques agricoles susceptibles de garantir la sécurité alimentaire malgré les perturbations environnementales observées actuellement au Sud et au Centre Bénin

PERCEPTION DES PERTURBATIONS CLIMATIQUES, SAVOIRS LOCAUX ET STRAT\uc9GIES D\u2019ADAPTATION DES PRODUCTEURS AGRICOLES B\uc9NINOIS

The diagnosis made on the effects of climate change in Benin shows that drought, late and violent rains and floods are three major climatic risks. The profound effects of climate change on agriculture, coupled with low resilience and high vulnerability of populations to shocks, could significantly reduce their capacity of managing natural resources and, thus, impair their livelihoods, food security and welfare. It becomes imperative to understand the efforts of farmers to cope with climate changes that affect them. This study focuses on understanding of local populations on the manifestations of climate change; its sensible effects in the agricultural landscape and the measures they can develop to cope with climate change. The study is also based on others studies conducted on 260 farmers in the South region (Adjohoun, Dangbo, Lokossa and Athi\ue9m\ue9) and the central region (Glazou\ue9 and Savalou) in various agro-ecological zones of Benin. Results from these studies showed that populations in the most vulnerable agro-ecological zones recognized climate phenomena essentially based on locally built knowl- edge. Indeed, several local concepts, adages and proverbs are used by rural communities to characterize the observed changes. To cope with these changes, a variety of strategies are developed locally by producers in Southern and Central Benin according to their socio-economic conditions. The knowledge of the mechanisms leading to their development in Benin includes elements that could form the basis for agricultural policies that can ensure food security despite environmental perturbations observed currently in southern and central Benin.Le diagnostic fait sur les effets du changement climatique au B\ue9nin, montre que la s\ue9cheresse, les pluies tardives et violentes et les inondations sont trois risques climatiques majeurs. Les effets profonds du changement climatique sur l\u2019agriculture, coupl\ue9s avec la faible r\ue9silience et la grande vuln\ue9rabilit\ue9 des populations aux chocs, pourraient r\ue9duire consid\ue9rablement leur capacit\ue9 de gestion des ressources naturelles et alt\ue9rer ainsi leurs moyens d\u2019existence, leur s\ue9curit\ue9 alimentaire et leur bien-\ueatre. Il devient imp\ue9rieux de mieux comprendre les efforts d\ue9ploy\ue9s par les cultivateurs pour faire face aux changements climatiques qui les affectent. La pr\ue9sente \ue9tude s\u2019int\ue9resse \ue0 la compr\ue9hension qu\u2019ont les populations locales des manifestations des changements climatiques, de ses effets perceptibles dans le paysage agraire et les mesures qu\u2019elles d\ue9veloppent pour y faire face. Elle est bas\ue9e sur des \ue9tudes qui ont \ue9t\ue9 men\ue9es sur 260 producteurs au sud (Adjohoun, Dangbo, Lokossa et Athi\ue9m\ue9) et au centre (Glazou\ue9 et Savalou) dans diverses zones agro-\ue9cologiques du B\ue9nin. Les r\ue9sultats de ces \ue9tudes ont montr\ue9 que les populations des zones agro-\ue9cologiques les plus vuln\ue9rables ont une lecture des ph\ue9nom\ue8nes climatiques essentiellement fond\ue9e sur des savoirs localement construits. En effet, plusieurs concepts locaux, adages et proverbes sont utilis\ue9s par les communaut\ue9s rurales pour caract\ue9riser les changements observ\ue9s. Pour y faire face, une vari\ue9t\ue9 de strat\ue9gies sont localement d\ue9velopp\ue9es par les producteurs du Sud et du Centre B\ue9nin en fonction de leurs conditions socio-\ue9conomiques. La connaissance des m\ue9canismes ayant conduit \ue0 leur mise au point au B\ue9nin sont des \ue9l\ue9ments qui pourraient servir de base \ue0 des politiques agricoles susceptibles de garantir la s\ue9curit\ue9 alimentaire malgr\ue9 les perturbations environnementales observ\ue9es actuellement au Sud et au Centre B\ue9nin

Human-wildlife conflicts and mitigation measures in Pendjari biosphere reserve, northern Benin

Human-wildlife conflicts are any interactions between human and wildlife with a negative impact for both parties. Understanding these conflicts is necessary to guaranty a better coexistence between human and wildlife and an improvement of wildlife conservation. The current research aims at assessing human-wildlife conflicts and analyzing the management measures developed by local communities around Pendjari Biosphere Reserve in Benin. Data were collected in January and February 2017 through a questionnaire survey of 245 respondents from different socio-professional background. Three main types of conflicts were observed around the Reserve: crop raiding, livestock predation and destruction of fishing materials. The most destroyed crops were maize (15 %), cotton (15 %) and millet (14 %), and sorghum (29 %) and baboon was the most important crop raiding species (61 % of depredation cases). Regarding livestock, pig (25 %) and sheep/goat (23.1 %) were the most attacked animals while hyena was the most important predator reported (40.6 % of attacks). Fishing nets and hoop nets were destroyed by crocodile (72.2 %) and hippopotamus (27.8 %). To reduce these damages, farmers used several measures such as guarding (82%), scarecrows (64.5 %), and fires on the outskirts of the fields (67.3 %). Herders mostly used livestock’ guarding (12.7 %) and fires or torchlight lit in the enclosures during the night (8.6 %). These measures were not efficient to prevent or avoid the damages but they did reduce them. They must be reinforced to reduce the impact of the damages on the agricultural production, the main source of income of local communities.Keywords: human-wildlife coexistence, damage, predation, conflicts mitigation, West Afric

Social institutional dynamics of seed system reliability: the case of oil palm in Benin

Seed system reliability is of major importance in farming. Whereas earlier studies analysed mainly annuals, this study focuses on a perennial. Oil palm in Benin was chosen as a case study because farmers complained about non-hybrids (dura and pisifera) in plots allegedly planted with 100% hybrid (tenera). This study assessed the reliability of the oil palm seedling supply system over past decades and its main drivers. An event ecology approach was used to identify causal mechanisms accounting for the observed variation in oil palm types on smallholder plots. A total of 378 plots belonging to 248 farmers that were allegedly planted with tenera between 1969 and 2009 were sampled, and shell thickness of fruits was assessed to determine whether palms were tenera, pisifera, or dura. The proportion of tenera varied with seedling supply source, farmers’ geographic position, seedling purchase price, and year of planting. The proportion of tenera decreased with year of planting. Socio-institutional mechanisms associated with the observed variation in smallholder plots were national policy change, local arrangements for seedling supply to smallholder farmers, and farmers’ personal characteristics. The implications of the observed decrease in the reliability of the seedling supply system are discussed