AGROBUSINESSProduction and trade of commestibles mushrooms in Benin

N°4 | September-November 2017

Réseau des Jeunes et Femmes Entrepreneurs du Secteur Agricole

Focus on the strategy «Feeding Africa»

REPORTYam’s festival in Béninwhen, culture and food become allied

AGRICULTUREPermaculture: farmingrespectful of human and nature

Parasel-Bio for your cooking

■ Marinating meat, fish and vegetables. ■ Salting sauces, pasta, rice.■ For tea and fruit salads.

It replaces validly in our kitchen:

► stocks cubes► The iodized salt ► the spices

500 f cfa the bag

1.000 f cfa the jar

CONTACT: +229 95 65 68 06

Bitah Classic, flour for porridge

■ Made with millet and enriched with baobab. ■ Rich in protein, mineral salts(Calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc), vitamins (B,C)■ Increases resistance to fatigue, ■ Healthcare■ Slows aging■ Promotes a very good lactation rise in lactating women

Bitah Classic is not advising for children under two years old because of its high fiber

content.

+229 61 62 86 51

+229 96 78 33 65

SUMMARY

N°4

NEWS2| Focus: Strategy «Feeding Africa»AGRICULTURE5| Permaculture: farming respectful of human and nature 7| Interview: conservation agriculture in Africa

INNOVATION8| Mechanization of craft’s processing unitsENVIRONMENT10| Preservation of soil fertility, functions of covers crops

ECONOMY12| Decryption: agricultural cooperatives in Bénin14| Agritourism or tourism in the farm

AGROBUSINESS16| Discorvery of Mushrooms house

22|OPPORTUNITIES22|PUBLICATIONSVOR is a quaterly magazine of «Réseau des Jeunes et Femmes Entrepreneurs du Secteur Agricole». Tél: +229 97843472. E-mail: lavoixrurale@gmail.com. Director of publication: Marthe Montcho. Writting: Marthe Montcho.Mikhaïl Padonou. Contributors: Ephrèm Dayou. Espoir Gaglo. Yannick Odjo. Joël Gbaguidi. DESIGN & LAYOUT: Mikhaïl Padonou. COVER: BAD © REJEUFEA 2017

EDITORIAL

Promoting agritourism for agricultural and rural development

Marthe Montcho, Chief editor

Agrotourism is a tourist activity complementary to agriculture taking place on a farm. It connects

agricultural producers with tourists, enabling them to discover the agricultural environment, agriculture and its production through the re-ception and information offered by their host. Thus agrotourism is an agricultural diversifi-

cation process in the sense that it enables rural communities to revitalize their economies locally

a n d to counteract the agricultural crisis. It is a solution to be considered to bring the townspeople closer to the agricultural world. It is clear that the role of agrotourism is to create contact between the visitor, often from the city, and the farmer. Without exchange, there is no agrotourism.

Agrotourism mainly concerns agricultural enterprises that are smaller than average. They benefit more from the positive economic impact of agrotourism. It is therefore very important to promote agrotourism. It has a major impact on the marketing of agricultural products, on the diversification of production and on the tourist offer. It has the power to interest new producers and several members of the family. This di-versification contributes to the social rapprochement between the two worlds. This will undoubtedly contribute to a better understanding of the profession of farmer by the young people and will certainly raise the desire to become farmer or agricultural contractor in the latter.

Agrotourism in Africa, specifically Benin’s agrotourism, must highlight products derived from agriculture. The sale of commodities is often one of the elements linked to the desire to make agro-tourism. As an outlet for products, agro-tourism is an undeniable contribution to the development of agriculture. Agrotourism must also allow the valori-sation of our cultural heritage. Finally, agrotourism has to attract a lot more investors in our rural communities, very rich in potentialities.

Our goal is to contribute to agricultural and rural development, so «rural voice» and the «Network of Young Entrepreneurs of the Agri-cultural Sector-REJEUFEA» strongly support agrotourism as it is both an axis of agricultural and rural development. Through agro-tourism, agricultural enterprises and their products are developed and activities complementary to agriculture are created on the farm.

I thanks all those who involved in agricultural and rural development; the members of our community «the rural voice» for the implementa-tion and achievement of our common goal: agricultural and rural deve-lopment. I urge all of us to continue in this position so that we can live «the rural voice» for increased agricultural productivity and effective development of our rural communities. ■

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AGRO-REPORT18| Yam’s festival in Bénin: when culture and food become allied20| Focus on GMO of Ouinhi

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Strategy « Feeding Africa » of AfDB, what hope in 2025?

THE NEWS

On September first, 2015, the 8th President elected of Afri-can Development Bank (AfDB),

Akinwumi Adesina announced during a conference in the office of the institu-tion, five priority sectors in which the bank plans to invest on the horizon 2025. Among these sectors, agriculture through the program « Feeding Africa « occupies a special place. Several reasons justify this strategic choice. In the first place, Africa has currently 60% of the reserves of pla-net’s arable land. This reserve which re-present 25% of the world fertile lands are still mainly under exploited. Secondly, the water which is a key factor for the agri-cultural development is available on it. Thirdly, the diversity of agroecologiques zones of the continent offers an exceptio-

nal chance for the diversification of the agricultural production. In spite of it high potential and although the farming is the activity of 60% of africa’s active popula-tions so contributing about the third of its GDP, Africa remains still vulnerable in the food insecurity. We count indeed 232 millions of underfed there or approxima-tely a person out of four.

Besides, the demographic growth rate of the continent which was equal to 2.5 % in 2016 contributes to an increase of the net imports of foodstuffs. These imports which were 35 billion USD could increase fourfold before 2025 if nothing is made to invert the tendency.

In the face of these situations and further to the announcement of the program, from

21 till 23 October 2015, under the initiative of the bank, the Secretaries of agriculture, economy and the industries, the gover-nors of the central banks, the business ma-nagers, representatives of the private sec-tor and the civil society, researchers and experts of the continent met in Dakar (Se-negal) for a high-level conference on the agriculture and food-processing industry. This conference resulted in the adoption of an action plan for the transformation of the agriculture in Africa. Four specific ob-jectives underlie the aforementioned plan: (i) to eradicate the poverty; (ii) to eradicate the hunger and the malnutrition; (iii) to make of Africa a net exporter of foodstuffs and (iv) to raise Africa at the top of value chains with exporting vocation where it possesses a comparative advantage.

Mikhaïl Padonou

315 to 400 billions USD before 2025 to transform African agriculture

President of AfDB in Dakar conference

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To reach these goals, the AfDB put on: ■ multisectorial interventions such as the intensive use of agricultural inputs, the agricultural mechanization, the improve-ment of the access to the agricole credit-then the improvement of the systems of landed property; reforms of politics;■ the promotion of the youth and women employment;■ the adoption of an approach of integrated value chain;■ the develop-ment of agro-in-dustrial zones which can produce of the added value ;■the impro-vement of the dialogue on the policies to raise the obstacles to the trade and ;■ finance the projects which attack the dis-parities between men and women in the farming sector.The implementation of the program Fee-ding Africa will require the mobilization of financial resources between 315 in 400 billion USD before 2025. So, the invest-ments of the group of the AfDB in the

agriculture would be multiplied by four passing from 612 millions USD on ave-rage a year to 2.4 billions USD. According to the analysts of the bank, these invest-ments should create new markets at 85 billion USD a year before 2025. Further to the planning of the program Feeding Africa, the AfDB has still gathered-

March 22nd and 23rd, 2016 to its siege in Abidjan, experts and the representatives of more than 30 African countries. This meeting allowed to identify agropoles and zones of transformation of farm produces in Africa in which the bank will invest. Afterward, from 12 till 14 April

2016, more than 200 researchers met to the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) of Ibadan in Nigeria. The objective of this meeting was to identify the priority agricultural value chains in which the AfDB will have to put the focus within the framework of the program Feeding Africa. After the mee-

ting, eighteen ( 18 ) values chains were identified of among which: (i) self-sufficiency of production of rice; (ii) inten-sification of the production of cassava; (iii) food safety in Sahel; (iv) exploitation of the zones of sa-vanna for the ce-real production; (v) rehabilitation of the tree-dwel-ling plantations; (vi) development of the horticul-

ture; (vii) increase of the production of wheat; (viii) development of the fish far-ming. Always with the aim of execution the action plan for the transformation of the agriculture in Africa and federate the energies of the actors around it, >

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Rice-growing, one priority value chains

13 agropoles and some values chains

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THE NEWS

> the department of agriculture and agro-industry of AfDB proceeded on September 19th, 2016 to the launch of the strategy for the agricultural transfor-mation in Africa 2016-2025. This strategy resumes four objectives of the action plan and defines sixteen ( 16 ) priority initia-tives to which the mobilized funds will be directed. Amongst it, we have:■ Technologies for the transformation of the agriculture: this initiative which is managed by the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) is going to allow to increase the productivity and the income of the developers through the creation of a directory of technologies of transformation of the agriculture which are adapted to the African context.■ Agropoles, zones of transformation, agro-industrial and corridors: it aims at concentrating resources and at creating a favorable environment in regions with great potential.■ Program «Enable Youth»: to increase the participation of the young people in the agriculture through, among others trai-nings in entrepreneurship, the granting of the capital of starting up for the agricultu-ral companies of the young people. This initiative will also be driven by IITA and the other partners of the AfDB.■ Sharing of agricultural risks and Mecha-nisms of Financing: it aims at an increase of bank loans in SME through the reduc-tion of the risks of the activities of credits and the attraction of new capital in the sector.■ Development of the networks of inputs agricoles/Financing inputs: it is going to allow to increase the productivity of the developers by increasing the financing to the local producers of large-scale inputs.■ Mechanism of support for the invest-ment and for the capital expenditures for the hiring in farms: it aims at increasing the income of the developers by offering them the possibility of renting agricultu-ral machines for a more efficient produc-tion.■ Losses in the field and after harvests: the purpose is to increase the income of the farmers by returning the technologies concerning the prevention of losses ea-

sily available post-harvests thanks to the growth of the investments in capital for the suppliers.■ Reproduction of the systems of «war-ehouse receipt»: they will allow the far-mers who store their products in war-ehouses approved to receive receipts of warehouse which have value of marke-table assets or can serve as guarantee to obtain loans.■ Insurance Risks: to improve the impact strength of countries in the shocks agro-climatiques.■ Financing of infrastructures: it is going to catalyse financing for the construction of the agricultural infrastructures to sup-port the schedule of Transformationof the Agriculture.■ Financing of trade: it will allow to facili-tate trade and to improve the global com-petitiveness of the African agricultural exporters by improving the access to the financing of banks and exporters■ Electronic recording of the developers: this initiative has for objective to help countries to create databases of their far-mers and to distribute directly so vou-chers of inputs and other vital services to the developers through the mobile sys-tems of payment.■ Capacity building of financing of the agricultural SME: the AfDB is going to develop the capacities of the sector and development of innovant instruments of financing of SMES.■ Facilitation for positive discrimination in favour of the women in the financing (AFAWA): to increase the income of the women by improving their access to the credit to start agricultural businesss.■ Resilience to climate change: the fund of climate change resilience for the agricul-ture is going to increase the productivity and the income of the developers by in-vesting in the financing and the projects which have already showed success in the improvement of the impact strength of the developers in front of climatic shocks and in front of the degradation of lands.

■ Fiduciary fund for the nutrition: to im-prove the Food safety and warn the mal-nutrition by increasing the support for the participative programs of nutrition in the

seriously affected(allocated) countries.

After the adoption of the plan, regional workshops were organized everywhere in Africa in November, 2016 to stimulate the membership and the commitment of all the stakeholders.

In December, 2016, under the leadership of the AfDB, under the leadership of the UNDP and under the leadership of the Economic Commission of United Na-tions for Africa (CEA), the African eco-nomic Conference, reflections were led to Abudja (Nigeria) on the strategies to be adopted to reach an agro-industrializa-tion of the sector.

Finally, the most recent event in connec-tion with the popularization and the de-velopment of the partnership around «Feeding Africa» is the annual Assembly on 2017 of the BAD. Organized from 22 till 25 May 2017 in Ahmedabad in India, it allowed to spread the strategy on the international scene. One of fallen again hoped by this conference is the influx of the investors to finance the plan.

Thus the meeting is taken for 2025 to appreciate results of this ambitious pro-gram. ■

References and linkshttps://www.afdb.org Ken Johm, 2016 : Lancement de la straté-gie « Nourrir l’Afrique », BAD, 45p.

■ 4 specific objectives■ 6 strategic axes■ 315-400 billions USD to invest till 2025■ The annual investments of the BAD In the agriculture will be multiplied by Four■ Creation of new markets Generating annually 85 billions USD before 2025■ Focus on 18 values chains and 13 agropoles■ 16 priority initiatives to finance

«Feeding Africa» in digits

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Human activities especially indus-trial caused and continue mo-reover a change of the climate

and our environment. This change of the climate has a very negative incidence on essential natural resources in the agri-cultural production on one hand and the human being on the other hand. Indeed, the agricultural production fell and the damage caused in natural resources com-promises the natural ecological processes which allow to maintain the landscapes in good condition and productive. In its fourth appraisal report, the intergovern-mental Group of experts on the evolu-tion of the climate (GIEC) underlines a strong risk of impacts on the ground and leaving ecosystems, on the ecosystematic services. Besides the increase of the risks of extinction, one plan that Increases of temperatures will alter the functioning of the ecosystems, in particular those who are important for the food supplies. To fight against this phenomenon, without compromising the resources of liveli-

hood, agroecological movements were introduced. The agroecology is a promi-sing alternative with the possibility of avoiding the social and ecological conse-quences. However, the transition towar-ds the agroecological production is very complex and mobilizes diverse forms of social support for the sustainable deve-lopment, in geographically diversified places. Since a few years, one of these movements agroécologiques expands: the permaculture.

Etymologically, the term « permaculture « comes from the fusion of two English words: «permanent employee» and «agri-culture».

The term « permanent agriculture « origi-nally is an American expression used by the American Cyril Hopkins in its book of 1910 « Permanent Soil Fertility and Agri-culture». It was resumed by Franklin Hi-ram King in 1911 in his book « Farmers of Forty centuries: permanent Agriculture in China , Korea and Japan.» Joseph Russell

Smith reports it 1929 in his entitled book «Tree Crops: To Permanent employee Agriculture», experiments of cultures in-tended for the human and animal food with fruits and walnuts.

It is only in 1978, that appears for the first time the word «permaculture». He was used by two Australians, Bill Mollison and David Holmgren in their founding work: «Permaculture One». In this book, the term «permaculture» indicated an ab-breviation of permanent agriculture.Ini-tially, the author Bill Mollison and David Holmgren defined the permaculture as a word which they had forged to indicate an evolutionary, integrated system, of autoperpetuation of botanical and animal species useful for human. Its fundamental is based on a set of techniques very prac-tised in the world, but in a more simpli-fied way.

It is necessary to note a multiplicity as well as one >

AGRICULTURE

Example of permaculture in Senegal

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ikha

ïl

Permaculture: farming respectful of human and nature

The permaculture is sustainable and productive integration of the human and the components of

the environment

Espoir Gaglo

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AGRICULTURE

> perpetual adjustment of the definition of the permaculture. This is connected to the evolution and the adaptation of the concept following various authors in time. You should not thus limit the per-maculture to the agriculture and bree-ding, but also to the planning and the de-velopment of communities and the use of appropriate technologies.

By integrating all the components, the permaculture becomes a real philosophy of territorial planning and reinforcement of the spirit of community. This philoso-phy tries hard by the harmonious integra-tion of the human housing environments, the microclimate, the annual and long-li-ved plants, the animals, the grounds and the water, to create sustainable and pro-ductive society. The permaculture aims to be a simple and effective solution for the world of tomorrow which is confronted with the evolution of the energy and cli-mate.

Finally, the aims of permaculture, is to solving the problems of planets and mankind. Permaculture objectives coinci-de perfectly with SDGs (the 17 objectives of sustainable development) . To achieve this goal, it is based on ethical and design principles.

There are three (3) major axioms of ethics.■ Taking care of the land: these activities must contribute to the protection of soil, forests and water.■ Taking care of the human being: the main idea of this axiom is to protect first of itself, of its relatives and of its community.■ Equitable sharing: this principle is based on the limitation of consumption, repro-duction and beyond the redistribution of the excess.

It should be recalled that in the first publi-cations, ethical principles were not expli-citly stated. These axioms were inspired by the practices of ancient traditions and contemporary co-operative structures.

Unlike ethics, the pillars of permaculture design are based most often on the mo-

dern science of ecology, and more speci-fically on the ecology of systems. Other disciplines related to physical geography and ethnobiology have contributed great-ly to the adaptation of these principles of design. There are twelve (12): (1) Observe and interact; (2) Collecting and storing en-ergy; (3) Create a production; (4) Apply self-regulation and accept feedback; (5) Utilize and enhance renewable services and resources; (6) Do not produce waste; (7) From the general structures to arrive at the details; (8) Integrate rather than se-parate; (9) Use solutions with small scales and patience; (10) Using and valuing di-versity; (11) Utilize interfaces and enhance edge elements; (12) Using change and res-ponding creatively.

In its early days, permaculture was li-mited to Australia and the USA. At pre-sent, the geographical distribution of per-maculture has spread more widely as a result of membership, social networks and training offered around the world. Per-maculture-related publications between 2008-2013 are estimated to be 35% in Nor-th America, 8% in Oceania, 22% in Eu-rope, 18% in Africa, 6% in Latin America, 11% in Asia. However, the majority of pu-blications are written by lay people for a popular audience.

The reasons which prevent the develop-ment of permaculture are diverse. One of the most important obstacles is the mistrust or even hostility of the scienti-fic community in the face of holistic re-search methods. The only scientific study conducted to date is that of INRA. The institute has validated permaculture as a profitable activity after four years of study (2011-2015) in the «Bec Hellouin» organic farm in France. To this, must be added the resistance of the political, economic and social elites who would see their in-fluence lessened with the local autonomy advocated by permaculture. Despite these obstacles, enthusiasts of this philosophy throughout the world have developed several communication networks and cer-tified trainings to facilitate the understan-

ding and popularization of the latter.

In Africa, several networks have been formed over the years. These networks of permaculturists are constituted mainly by individuals and by NGOs militant for agroecology or organic farming. Several permaculture training centers or institutes have been set up across the continent. They are a tool to exchange best practices, learn about different initiatives and pro-mote permaculture projects in Africa.

In a context of climate change and varia-bility, permaculture by its bases, perhaps one of the solutions for a sustainable and harmonious development for both man and nature. Our survival and that of fu-ture generations, as Antoine de Saint-Exu-péry said, «we do not inherit the land of our parents, we borrow it from our child-ren».

But well before, thorough and well-deve-loped studies have to be put in place. The objective of these studies will be to allow the verification of the results confirmed by the advocates of permaculture. On the other hand, they will make it possible to remove the veil on this concept and to al-low the sharing of information to the po-pulations.

To learn more about permaculture, follow the documentary film entitled «Awake-ning Permaculture» realized in 2017 by Adrien Bellay. ■

References and linksFerguson, R. S., & Lovell, S. T. (2014). Per-maculture for agroecology: design, move-ment, practice, and worldview. A review. Agronomy for Sustainable Development, 34(2), 251-274.www.ipcc.ch Holmgren, D. (2002). « Permaculture : Principles and Pathways Beyond Sustai-nabilitywww.permaculturefrance.org www.ecoledepermaculture.org www.abundantbynaturepermaculture.com

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African countries face the challenge of food security. Such a challenge can not be met without agricul-

tural land that does not conserve its fer-tility sustainably, hence the importance of conservation agriculture. Dr. Emile Houngbo explains what conservation agriculture is.How can conservation agriculture be de-fined?Conservation agriculture is an agricultu-re that allows production without des-troying the basic resources on which the agricultural production process is based. It protects the physical structure, fertility, microorganisms, water and soil organic matter. Agricultural practices such as na-tural fallow, plantations and agroforestry (including the integration of cover crops such as Mucuna pruriens) are part of conservation agriculture. It makes it pos-sible to conserve and even to improve the production potential of the soil. Conserva-tion agriculture also consists in practicing semi-plowing and non-plowing in order to conserve the water, organic and biolo-gical potential of the soil.

What is the state of adoption of conserva-tion agriculture in Africa in general and Benin in particular?The rate of adoption of agricultural conser-vation practices is still low in Africa, espe-cially in subsaharian part. The countries of North Africa, notably Morocco, are expe-riencing a significant evolution in conser-

vation agriculture. Although positive cases have been observed in black Africa (Kenya, Cameroon, etc.), non-adopters of these practices are the most numerous (Benin, Senegal, Burkina Faso, ...). Degra-ding agricultural practices, reflected in the mining of cultivated areas, in clear the ex-ploitation of land without just compensa-tion, are dominant. The cultivation of sys-tematic tillage in each agricultural season is developed, as many African countries adopt agricultural policies that are unfa-vorable to producers who are therefore not able to adopt agricultural practices of conservation.The situation in Benin is that of countries with low adoption rates. Degrading agri-culture is developed there, both in the south with strong land pressure and in the north where the consumption of large open spaces is at the expense of conser-ving the agricultural potential of soils.

What are the benefits of conservation agriculture?On the economic level, conservation agri-culture makes it possible to maintain or even improve a satisfactory level of agri-cultural production over time. Because the physical structure of the soil, the or-ganic matter and the fertility of the soil are preserved. Agroforestry, for example, through the trees it contains, the depth reached by its roots and the biomass it produces, makes it possible, among other things, to maintain a microclimate favo-

rable to the development of soil micro-or-ganisms and to the limitation of Evapora-tion of soil water; All of which allow the soil to retain its structure and fertility. Production yields do not fall, which keeps the basic production resources in good condition for future generations. The agri-cultural producer thus makes a good deal through good productivity and competi-tiveness.On the environmental front, conserva-tion agriculture is less disruptive to the ecosystem and a means of sequestering carbon in the soil and conserving water. In this respect, conservation agriculture is a sustainable agricultural practice that can mitigate the emission of greenhouse gases that heat the atmosphere and enable adaptation to climate change. Conserva-tion agriculture is therefore strongly re-commended today when Africa and Benin must adapt to climate change while ensu-ring food security for a galloping popula-tion.

What are the structural factors that impe-de the development of conservation agri-culture in Benin and Africa?The results of my doctoral thesis defended in 2008 revealed that producer poverty is the real obstacle to the adoption of agri-cultural conservation practices. This work carried out on the Adja plateau (Depart-ment of the Couffo) in Benin revealed that the intensity of implementation of agricul-tural conservation practices (IAC), >

Interview: conservation agriculture in Africa, what perspectives?

by Mikhaïl Padonou

Emile Houngbo is Doctor in Socio-economics and Teacher-researcher at the University of Agriculture of Porto-Novo

INNOVATION

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Mechanization of artisanal processing units: What relief

for women?> including natural fallow, plantations and agroforestry, is less than 0.50.In 2007, the IAC was 0.282 among poor households, compared with 0.506 for non-poor households, with a significant diffe-rence at the 1% level. When looking at the forms of poverty, taking into account the temporal dimension, ie the period 2000-2007, it emerged that chronic poor households are the least adoptive. The IAC was 0.367 among chronic poor households, compared with 0.501 among transitional poor households. The development of all these results is available online: tel.ar-chives-ouvertes.fr/tel-00680042 et www.tropicultura.org/text/v26n3/186.pdf

What solutions do you advocate for wide adoption of conservation agriculture in our countries?

I have said earlier that the low adoption of agricultural practices of conservation by producers is due to their inability to withstand the additional employment of factors of production (land, labor or capi-tal) that this adoption often requires. Thus, they abandon them if they do not have more land, capital or labor, depending on the case. The low level of implementation of the PAC will be all the more noticeable as the chronic poverty rate among producers will be high. It will therefore be necessary to improve the living standards of agricul-tural producers and thus their ability to save to invest in agricultural conservation practices. The aim is to organize the ma-nagement of the agricultural sector so that agricultural producers obtain satisfactory incomes, equal to the actual contribution to the various value chains, as is the case in France and Israel, for example. In so doing, producers will be able to adopt massively the agricultural practices of conservation often suggested by the supervisory struc-tures they receive. ■

AGRICULTURE

The reduction of poverty in Benin requires a deep reform of the deve-lopment poles to make them more

professional and more structured. One of the main challenges in solving the pro-blems of food security and economic de-velopment concerns notably the «agricul-ture» cluster and the «agro-food» cluster. In 2010, the participation rate was higher in rural areas (79.1%) than in urban areas (70.4%). Looking at how the participation rate varies by sex and place of residence, 86.3% of women with no education are in the urban labor force, compared with 43% The men (INSAE, 2013). The agri-food sector, which mobilizes more women than men, has long been based on traditional methods of exploitation that can no lon-ger cope with the rapid development of cities (INSAE, 2011). It is therefore urgent to respond to the increase in urban de-mand for consumer goods (Ribier, 1995). Thus, given the strong urbanization and the problems of food supply, endogenous technical responses in the form of food handicrafts have developed to ensure the supply of cities and the food supply (Mit-chikpè et al. ., 2001). Food crafting groups the units of transformation of local agri-cultural products adapted to the habits of food of the city dwellers. Traditional me-thods of processing are based on simple techniques that are almost entirely ma-nual. Yet all manual production processes have in common their long, arduous, la-bor-intensive and inefficient production processes with relatively low yields. In Benin, the processing sector covers a wide range of products, including gari, néré mustard (commonly known as afitin in the local language), palm or groundnut

oil, yam and cassava chips.

■ Gari is a product widely consumed by the population because of its affordable price and its accessibility to all layers or social categories. It is therefore a pro-duct par excellence to ensure availabi-lity, thereby enhancing food security in households. Its production is increasingly mechanized thanks to the appearance of raspers and presses which reduce the physical effort and the working time that these steps required.

■ Affitin or néré mustard is used mainly by households as a condiment. According to consumers, their attachment to afitin is explained by its therapeutic power be-cause it cures high blood pressure. Howe-ver, its production is slowed down by the stage of seed husking which has just been incessantly raised by the development of a seed husking nere.

■ Palm oil: in addition to its many food uses, palm oil is a popular product of the populations because of its affordable price which puts it within the reach of all purses and its particular uses. Handicraft production of palm oil is largely provided by women, individually or possibly aided by a family workforce. These craftsmen use entirely manual techniques. These small units provide coverage for the local market, and in the past have allowed the country to export. Its traditional produc-tion is boosted by the current availability of pulpers of presses and kneaders which now make women less dependent on the male labor formerly solicited for this pur-pose.

Ephrème Dayou

■ Peanut oil is widely consumed by popu-lations. Its importance is related to the fact that it is part of the eating habits and that it is easy to use. Peanut hulling has evol-ved from manual to mechanized, thanks to the motorized hoeing machine.

■ Yam and cassava chips are highly va-lued by populations where yams and cas-sava remain staple foods, but also increa-singly by other populations. Chips are a form of conservation of fresh tubers and roots, allowing them to be consumed du-ring periods when their price reaches the maximum. As far as quality is concerned, the chips must be completely white and free from mold and insect attack. This is only possible today thanks to the newly introduced dryers at the expense of tradi-tional methods of drying by roadside and dependent on the sun.

Ability and production techniques

Over the past decade, development agen-cies have been supporting the spread of processing equipment, with a focus on increasing technical performance. Mecha-nization will mainly allow to increase the quantities processed per workshop, thanks to the increase in hourly productivity. A

semi-mechanized workshop can reach an annual tonnage much higher than a craft workshop and ensure substantial bene-fits. The integration of some mechanized operations in the processes can leave the qualities of the artisanal oil intact because it is especially the final cooking of the oil that confers its flavor. Mechanical mixing, for example (rather than by pounding or crushing) does not change the taste of the oil. In view of the difficulty of this task, it seems therefore quite desirable to pro-mote its mechanization. One could thus imagine the introduction of mechanized mechanization in artisanal processes, which varies according to the type of pro-duction. This coupling of mechanization and artisanal production is necessary, given the good image that artisanal oil is considered better than that produced by large industries. Some consumers (36%) even say they are willing to pay more for artisanal oil.

Risks

The craftsmen generally do not know the mechanical materials. A mechanized sys-tem requires a technical mastery, or even a physical force, that women do not neces-sarily have. If the processes are improved,

there is a great risk that men will recover the activity because they have a smaller ca-pital or access to credit than women. The problem is of course that some women might also increase their production ca-pacity, and that this would involve a pro-cess of concentration of activity. But that seems inevitable. Mechanization would in any case reduce production costs and re-lieve transformers from the point of view of daily physical effort. ■

References and linksAy P. 2000. Another oil boom. Local wo-men’s knowledge and small scale mecha-nisation for increased palm oil supplies in Western Nigeria. Projet ALISA, document de travail, Montpellier, Septembre, 40 p.Fournier S., Muchnik J. et Requier-Desjar-dins D. 2002. Enjeux et contraintes du dé-veloppement de la filière huile de palme au Bénin : une approche par les systèmes agro-alimentaires localisés. Les Cahiers d’Outre-Mer, pp475-494.INSAE, 2013. Évaluation de la pauvreté au Bénin. Draft provisoire, 218p.INSAE, 2011. Enquête modulaire intégrée sur les conditions de vie des ménages, EMICoV 2011.

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Multi-Purpose Rasping Machine

ENVIRONMENT

Contribution of cover crops in the conservation of soil fertility

Under-cover seedlings are an effective measure against erosion and loss of soil

fertility

Land degradation is caused by un-sustainable land-use and manage-ment practices and extreme climate

events resulting from different social, economic and governance factors. Since agricultural activities are mainly involved in land use, the future of farmers depends on it. This is why sustainable land mana-gement is a major challenge for family far-mers around the world.

In Benin, land degradation has remained a serious constraint on agricultural deve-lopment in recent years. Agriculture being the main activity, demographic pressure has led to a fragmentation of cultivated areas and a sharp reduction in fallow pe-riods. This leads to soil degradation due to overexploitation due to the combined action of bush fires and farming. This degradation, which affects all the soils of the southern plateaus of Benin, is mainly due to the export of nutrients by crops, a significant decrease in the rate of orga-nic matter modifying the nitrogen cycle, losses by runoff, erosion and leaching . It causes a significant loss of agricultural soil resources and contributes to an increase in the flow of cereal imports. For example, population density and poor agricultural practices have led to continued impoveri-shment of agricultural land fertility, wa-ter deficit, deforestation and soil erosion. This leads to lower crop yields, resulting

in lower income and food insecurity.

Growing systems based on cover crops are practiced and studied with a view to the restoration of these lands. Soil is an ecologically vital commodity that conti-nually renews its yield capacity. Without sufficient attention to its needs, it suffers, loses vitality, becomes more sensitive to weather and erosion, and provides fewer harvests. For a long time, most anti-ero-sion and soil restoration techniques have not been able to improve the fertility of these lands. The new techniques of planting under vegetation cover lead to convincing results. Under-cover seedlings are therefore an effective measure against erosion and loss of soil fertility. Indeed, the vegetation that covers the ground dampens the impact of raindrops and the roots close to the surface of the soil im-prove the cohesion of the earth. The suc-cession of crops includes a plant installed by the farmer to cover the soil during all or part of the year. Various legumes have been tested as cover crops in different re-gions of the world. These include: Mucuna pruriens, Stylosanthes guianensis.

■ Mucuna pruriensMucuna (Mucuna pruriens) is a multi-pur-pose cover crop, whose prurian, use and cochichennensis varieties were introduced in Benin in 1986 as part of the solution approaches to problems of declining soil

fertility and control Against the imperata (Imperata cylindrica). Mucuna develops on various soils: sandy, clayey, bar land, sa-vannah soils and vertisols in the absence of flooding. The cultivation of mucuna is made to improve soil fertility and / or soil structure, to bring the nitrogen com-ponent necessary for the production of cereals, especially maize, to reduce the population of quackgrass to a threshold easily controlled by the producer, to fight Against soil erosion, against striga «to use its leaves as fodder for livestock, to use its seeds previously treated in food and feed. Mucuna is sown at the beginning of the rainy season in pure culture or in com-bination with other crops such as maize, sorghum or Yam or other food crops one month after sowing these crops at a den-sity of 0.80 mx 0.80 m or 0.80 mx 0.40 m The culture with which the mucuna is associated should have a fairly high for Escape the choking by the mucuna. It is sown at a rate of one seed per pole (15 kg of seed per hectare) or two seeds per pole (30kg of seed per hectare). The results showed that the treatment that renews Mucuna every year in association with maize raises organic matter (0.6 to 2.8%) while the corn yield increases from 0.2 to 2.8 t/ha/ Year, that erosion decreases from 7.5 to 2 t / ha / year and runoff from 10% to 5% of rainfall in five years.

Ephrème Dayou

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Mucuna, a multipurpose cover crop

■ Stylosanthes guianensis

Stylosanthes guianensis esis a herbaceous legume. Its root system is composed of numerous roots, with a main pivot and round secondary roots concentrated to 80% in the first 20 cm of the soil, and on which abundant nodules develop. It is a perennial species, with a relatively short shelf life (about 3 years). It is one of the few legumes to grow well on very fer-tile soils. In addition, its powerful root system allows it to behave well on com-pacted soils. Stylosanthes guianensis is ca-pable of producing high biomass even on degraded and fertilized soils (5 to 10 t / ha dry matter and up to 20 t / ha on rich soil), which makes it possible to prepare the biomass necessary for the Sowing for subsequent years. It is able to control weeds (all annual weeds including Striga asiatica, Rottboelia exaltata, Borreria alata and Boerhavia diffusa and many perennial weeds like Imperata cylindrica). This great-ly reduces the need for weeding in the following crop. It can be controlled wit-hout herbicide, by simple mowing at the ground level in the dry season. Stylosan-thes guianensis is a legume that fixes large amounts of nitrogen (70 to more than 200

kg / ha / year of nitrogen), nodules naturally without requiring inoculation, and is able to recycle chemical ele-ments often soil deficit Make them accessible to the next culture. It therefore makes it possible to rapidly enrich the soil. Its woody stems and large roots slowly mineralize, while leaves and small roots rich in nitrogen rapidly mine-ralize, allowing a continuous feeding of plants grown on stylosanthes. Its powerful root system allows it to gradually improve the structure of compacted soils. This plant therefore helps to mobilize fertility for crops where they do not grow and control weeds, making it an excellent cover crop. It also has the advantage of not making significant competition when it is asso-ciated with a crop and not being an inva-sive plant.

Covering plants limit the erosive process, favor the storage of water in soils and ge-nerally improve soil properties and orga-nic stock and thus its overall fertility. ■

References and links

FAO, 2015. Année internationale des sols : Des sols sains pour une vie saine. htt-p:www.fao.org/soils-2015/fr/

Husson O., Charpentier H., Razanampa-rany C., Moussa N., Michellon R., Naudin K., Razafintsalama H., Rakotoarinivo C. 2008. Fiches techniques plantes de cou-verture : Légumineuses pérennes. Stylo-santhes guianensis. 13p.

Patzel N., eidmann G., Grafen A., Klae-dtke S. et Zimmer S. 2013. Les principes de la fertilité des sols : Construire sa relation avec le sol. FiBl, Biosuisse. 32p

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Igname sur couverture de Stylosanthes©

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ECONOMY

Women’s Cooperativefor Cassava

production and processing

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Decryption: agricultural cooperatives in Benin

Yannick Odjo

The main actors of agricultural pro-duction have always been small producers and producers whose

primary objective is their subsistence. Being the anchors of the agricultural sec-tor, they have been led to adopt various forms of organization according to the period, the different political options and the agricultural development strategy of the country. The most common form of organization is the cooperative, which is a group of people who carry out the same activity and who are confronted with dif-ficulties to which they alone can not find a solution. In order to find solutions or deal with these difficulties, these people decide to set up their own business that they ma-nage at their risk and benefit.

An agricultural cooperative is a company organized by farmers who have decided to pool the means of production for a bet-ter efficiency.

In Benin, the development of the coopera-tive movement was influenced by politi-cal options. So :

■ From 1960 to 1972, the organizing initia-tives of the rural world were aimed at pro-ducing large quantities of raw materials to meet the needs of emerging industries.

■ From 1972 to 1990, the cooperative mo-vement was marked by the socialist op-tion made by the country and had to be produced to satisfy the vital needs of the population. Alongside state farms, the administration of the agricultural sector has led to the creation of producer groups either on blocks where the means of pro-duction are individual or on collective fields. The patterns of the Eastern coun-tries greatly influenced the structures of the time.

■ The period 1990 to 2006 was characte-rized by economic liberalism, the disen-gagement of the State from production and marketing activities and the transfer of competence to farmers’ organizations (POs), with the consequent diversification of their activities and the creation of ser-vices.

■ The implementation of the structural adjustment program (SAP), with the re-sult that the recruitment freeze in the civil service has encouraged the development of cooperative structures in other sectors such as health, microcredit, crafts and trade.

■ From 2006 to now, the option of promo-ting agricultural sectors has led to the de-velopment of farms by sector and the or-ganization of actors in the sectors such as pineapple, cashew nut, oil palm, Cotton, the creation of the cotton interprofession and the pineapple table.

Currently in Benin, any cooperative so-ciety, any union or federation of coopera-tive societies, whose head office is located in the national territory, is subject to the provisions of the OHADA Uniform Act on the Law of Co-operative Societies (AUS-COOP). However, it should be noted that prior to the entry into force of AUSCOOP, cooperatives were governed in Benin by a variety of legal texts. There are two types of cooperatives:

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■ Simplified Cooperative Societies (SCOOPS) with a Management Com-mittee (CG) of 3 to 5 members depending on the number of cooperators;

■ Cooperatives with a Board of Directors (COOP-CA) with a turnover of 3 to 12 members.

The registration of cooperatives in Benin was formerly under the responsibility of the Service for the Support of Cooperative Development and the Agricultural Entre-preneurship (CARDER). As the reform currently underway is proceeding with the liquidation of CARDERs, this process falls within the competence of the Depart-ment of Agriculture, Livestock and Fishe-ries (DDAEP).

There are certain advantages to combining into an agricultural cooperative in relation to other types of organization. These in-clude: achieving economies of scale; The decisions taken have a more lasting and representative character of the needs and aspirations of the members; Facilitating the dissemination of innovations, etc.

Despite their undeniable benefits, the creation and operation of agricultural coo-peratives often encounters difficulties that are inherent in stakeholder management. Among these difficulties we can list:

■ Lack of creative information;

■ The objectives of cooperation are often not appropriate for all;

■The creation of stakeholder organiza-

tions is always driven by various promo-ters;

■ The actors thus organized on the basis of interests such as the support of projects / programs do not take charge and do not work for the professionalization of their structures;

■ The non-existence of the entrepreneurial spirit thus reducing these organizations governed by cooperative texts into simple associations easily exploited for electoral purposes;

■ Insufficient emphasis on the role of the economy in cooperative structures that are unlikely to evolve in accordance with cooperative principles because their apexes generally invested and managed by non-professionals and non- Agricultu-re (agricultural salespersons) can not help them;

■ Non-compliance with the texts gover-ning organizations;

■ Poor governance of managers of coope-rative societies;

■ Illiteracy among actors.

The current context of the agricultural sec-tor in Benin marked by the reform of the definition of a new agricultural map by the creation of the Agricultural Development Poles managed by territorial agencies is a decisive step that will make it possible to overcome these difficulties. Indeed, this reform places greater emphasis on the promotion of agricultural sectors through

the specialization of territories. This op-tion, which relegates the administration to the public service mission of control and framework support, gives more opportu-nities for the development of cooperative societies, which are thus more involved in the management of agricultural sectors. To enable OPAs to fully play their role in the management of each sector, it is im-portant that these takeover bids are better structured and functioning well. It is the-refore advisable that a framework for the exchange and consultation of all the fa-milies of actors be set up by sector, which should bring together the different actors organized by category and one of whose main roles will be to deal with Issues re-lating to the evolution and development of each sector. Finally, the management of information on cooperative societies in Benin (under the authority of the Rural Legislation Directorate, support for pro-fessional organizations and agricultural entrepreneurship) is a necessity. It should be noted that, to date, information is avai-lable only on cooperatives in the cotton sector. ■

References and links

L’Acte Uniforme relatif au droit des Socié-tés Coopératives (AUSCOOP) est le der-nier Acte uniforme en date ;

Memo DLROPEA sur le mouvement coo-pérative, Novembre 2012

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Women’s Cooperative

for soy production and

processing

ECONOMY

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The development of agritourism or tourism on the farm

Agritourism is a way ofDiversification of incomes for certain

agricultural producers

Marthe Montcho

Agritourism is by definition a gent-le form of tourism which aims to promote rural capital and which,

by promoting regional development, contributes to improving the income of the population. It takes different forms of accommodation (farmhouses, cottages on the farm or campsites on the farm) and multiple activities in rural areas (pupil reception, farmer’s golf, banquet room, Hosts, restaurants, butchers, etc.), where visitors can find answers to the questions they are asking and learn about farming, local products, traditional cooking and

daily life in rural areas, As well as on the cultural elements and authentic features of the rural area, while showing respect for the environment and traditions. The agritourism offers visitors closer contact with nature and the rural activities in which they can participate.

Agritourism is a means of income diver-sification for some agricultural produ-cers. The agritourism can lead to a bet-ter understanding between urban, rural non-farmers and rural farmers. To qualify as an agrotourism, the activity must res-

pect the following criteria:

■ take place on a farm;

■ be complementary to agriculture;

■ establish a relationship between the tou-rist and the producer;

■ be a welcome and information activity, including or not, the consumption of pro-ducts coming from this farm;

■ to develop the agricultural territory and its activities.

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Kumah Farms Complex in Ghana offers several agritourism options

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Components of the agritourism

■ The producer and his productions;

■ Transformation;

■ Tourism activities

The contents of the agritourism

► Products

■ Visits to farms, farms; Of culture

■ Educational and recreational activities;

■ Animation by producers;

■ Sale of farm producers (noise and va-lue-added products).

►Services

■ Accommodation and catering at the farm

The specificity of agritourism in the face of industrial tourisml

The actors of the agritourism, which is a component of green tourism, are farmers who offer on their farms either a catering activity, a lodging activity or a leisure ac-tivity and, now, a direct sales activity of their products. It is all the actors, be they public, private or associative, who there-fore offer activities of accommodation, ca-tering and leisure in rural areas.

Agritourism is a complementary tourist activity of agriculture taking place on a

farm. It puts agricultural producers in contact with tourists or excursionists, thus enabling them to discover the agricultural environment, agriculture and its produc-tion through the welcome and informa-tion that their host reserves.

References and links

Garrod, B., Wornell, R., Youell, R. (2006), « Reconceptualizing Rural Resources as Countryside Capital: The Case of Ru-ral Tourism”, Journal of Rural Studies, 22(2006), pp.117–128.

Roberts L., Hall D. (2001), Rural Tourism and Recreation : Principles to Practice, Wallingford : CAB International, 272 p

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Kenya has developed

agritourism around tea plantations

Ivory-Coast, has developed the agritourism around cocoa

AGROBUSINESS

Production and marketing of edible mushrooms and its derivatives: Discovery of «Mushrooms

house»

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Mushrooms have anti-tumor and anti-cholesterol effects

Marthe Montcho

Located in southern Benin, at the municipality called the Allada- Attogon Toxome, the mushroom

house is an agricultural enterprise spe-cialized in the production and marketing of mushrooms and its derivatives. It was established in June 2016 and is already known in Benin as a flagship agricul-tural enterprise. According to the pro-moters Hermann Lissagbe and Aïchath Ouro-Djeri, the mushroom house has an average production capacity of 100 Kilo-grams of fresh mushrooms per month. Mushrooms proposed are mainly oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus abalonus). They are fast growing, high protein (50% dry weight), vitamins (A, B, C, D and H), mi-nerals (phosphorus, potassium, sodium, and calcium), oligo (Copper, zinc, alumi-num, iron and selenium), carbohydrates (50% dry weight), folic acid (necessary for the development of the fetal nervous sys-tem), carotene and pantothenic acid. It is useful to the cell membrane and essential to the production of energy. Finally, the mushrooms not only contain no choles-terol but also have medicinal properties which have a beneficial action on the hu-man body, being known for its anti-tumor and anti-cholesterol effects.

Fresh, dried and spicy mushrooms avai-lable at «Mushroom house» farms

Due to production standards and condi-tions, the mushroom house is positioned as one of the pioneer companies in the pro-duction of mushrooms. Mushrooms are sold fresh and dried. Moreover the variety of spicy mushrooms is one of the innova-tions and peculiarity of the company «the house of mushrooms». Indeed after the production, the mushrooms are treated very professionally to various spices. According to their taste, the customer of the mushroom house gets herbs from garlic mushrooms; Ginger mushroom; Mushrooms with mustard; Mushrooms with anise; Mushrooms with three spices; Chili peppers, mushrooms etc. The fresh mushrooms are sold at 800FCFA the pac-kage of 250 Kg. As for dried mushrooms, the selling price is 1300FCFA the pack of 50g.

The «Mushroom house» farm opts for organic production and production that protects and preserves the environment.

At the mushroom house, crop residues and agricultural waste are recycled and recovered. Mushroom cultivation is car-ried out on palm residues and harvest

residues (sorghum substrate, corn stalks, cassava residues, etc.). In addition, the packaging used for the packaging of mushrooms is biodegradable packaging. Also mushrooms produced at home mushrooms, have a very good taste, close to that of meat. Mushrooms have interes-ting nutrient profiles: high in fiber and low in fat, some species may also have high protein contents. The mushroom is rich in protein than most fresh vegetables: its content varies between 2.1 and 3.3%, ins-tead of 1 to 2%. These proteins are better provided sulfur amino acids - methionine and cystine - than the proteins of fresh plants. However, their biological value re-mains lower than that of animal proteins. They are in fact deficient in certain es-sential amino acids (in particular tryp-tophan). This is why despite their good reputation protein, mushrooms can not replace meat in the diet. The mushrooms is also an excellent source of numerous and very varied trace elements, in parti-cular selenium, a substance that is part of the composition of many enzymes with antioxidant properties and which plays a protective role towards cardiovascular diseases and certain cancers.

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Fresh and dried mushrooms offered

by Mushroom house

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Mushrooms now be using in all your cu-linary recipes

The mushrooms are a vegetable in their own right, which can be used to make pleasant menus or to incorporate them profitably into various diets (hypolipidic, hypoglucidic, hyposodé, etc.) Thanks to their nutritional value and the many me-dicinal virtues, mushrooms lend themsel-ves to many culinary preparations. They are served, for example, as appetizers, as a vegetable dish, as an accompaniment or as a salad. They also marry meat, fish and eggs.Mushroom soup Ingredients: oyster mushrooms, onions, ½ l of meat broth, oil, parsley, bread crusts, butter, salt, pepper.Preparation: Brown the mushrooms finely

chopped, cleaned and cut into pieces. Cook for 10 minutes. Add broth, salt and pepper. Boil for 15 minutes. Finely chop the parsley. Fry the croutons of butter bread. Arrange them in a plate with a little parsley and cover with boiling soup..Mushroom omelette Ingredients: mushrooms, eggs, oil, parsley, salt, pepperPreparation: Place the oyster mushrooms in a pan in a little oil. Beat the eggs with a little salt and pepper. Pour in the beaten eggs and mix to combine the ingredients. Shake the pan so that the omelet does not stick to the bottom. Turn the omelette over. Sprinkle with a little parsley and serve immediately.Sliced chicken with mushroomsIngredients: chicken, oyster mushrooms,

crème fraîche, onion, oil, parsley, salt, pepper and brothPreparation: Fry some slices of onions and celery in oil. Add parsley and carrot into rings. Add chicken cut into pieces and return frequently. Prepare the oyster mushrooms in a very hot broth. Pour it all over the chicken and simmer. When half-cooked, add the fresh cream, Check the seasoning. Place in oven for 10 minutes and serve warm.■

References and links

Culture des champignons pleurotes à pe-tite échelle, Faculté des Sciences Agrono-miques, Université de Burundi, 14p. Les avantages de la culture des champi-gnons en agriculture, Par Vincent Leblanc, agronome, M.Sc. 45p.

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Dishes and spices made withmushrooms

Oyster mushrooms, specialty of Mushrooms House

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On August 15 of each year, it is the fes-tival of the yam in Benin. This festi-val brings together thousands of Be-

ninese and tourists to Savalou (Region of hill, center of Benin). The commune of Savalou is known as the geocultural place par excellence where the yam is celebrated. This festival is the belonging of socio-cultural groups such as Mahi, Nagot, Bariba, Dendi and other eth-nic groups. The yam is anchored in the dieta-ry habits of these populations and constitutes a marker of their identity. Yams retain this advantage in the face of competition from other culturally less starchy products. Un-like cassava, maize or rice, yam is a native product of these regions and is thus deeply rooted in the culture of their population. In several ethnic groups, its consumption is strongly ritualized, governed, with each new harvest, by ceremonies maintaining the cohe-sion of the social groups and activating their identity: the festivals of the yam. The yam has enjoyed and continues to enjoy with cer-tain socio-cultural groups, to a certain extent, particular treatments which make that some consider it a sacred culture. In the customary symbolism, it is through the yam that the life of the ancestors reappears. Eating yams is,

of course, food, but it is above all a commu-nion. Thus, yam is one of the cultures that is as important as food, cultural and economic for the populations of West Africa including Benin.

Yam (Dioscorea spp) is one of the crops of food, cultural and economic importance to the populations of West Africa including Be-nin. It is also a crop Tropical forest of great socio-economic importance, especially in the countries of the Gulf of Guinea (Nige-ria, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Benin, etc.). Its consumption remains high or increasing in several traditionally producing countries, despite high imports of rice and wheat. Root and tuber crops are particularly important food crops in the sustainable struggle against poverty and the improvement of the living conditions of rural households. According to many scientist and specialist of food security, the populations of Africa, feeding on tubers and especially yams, did not experience fa-mine.

In Benin, yam production has experienced an annual increase of about 12% in recent de-cades. In Benin, yam is mainly grown in the crystalline formations of the Center and the

AGRO-REPORT

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Yam festival in Benin, when culture and food are celebrated together

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Marthe Montcho

Yam has acultural, economic and

food importance in Benin

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North from the latitude of Djidja to Kan-di. It is the subject of a major commercial transaction from these production areas to large urban shopping centers including Cotonou, Porto-novo and Bohicon.

Pounded yam has a very good position among the products consumed by the po-pulations, whatever their level of prospe-rity. It has become part of the food habits of urban households and its consumption now exceeds traditional geographical areas as well as rural areas. The yam is consumed in various forms, the most po-pular of which is ‘crushed yam’ known as ‘agou’ in the south and central Benin and ‘tchokourou’ in northern Benin.

In addition, yam pounding in both households and restaurants is a tedious job (high physical energy expenditure) that can last about 30 minutes and gives a paste whose quality is often tainted by sweat and wood debris from the mortar. Also the use of mortar, although steeped in tradition, has impacts on the environ-ment such as noise pollution and tree fel-ling for the making of mortars and pestles. The species most threatened in Benin are shea-tree (Vitellaria paradoxa) and the nere (Parkia biglobosa).

Since 2004, an alternative yam pounding technology, the electromechanical ma-chine developed by the Center for Re-search in Agri-Food Technology (CRTA), has been put on the market mainly to pro-mote its consumption in urban areas in

Benin. Unlike the pestle mortar, the pile is used to obtain crushed yam in five mi-nutes. This saves time, reduces physical effort and guarantees the quality of cru-shed yam.

Also yam is recognized for some medici-nal properties or recommended for some diets. Varieties are not only distinguished from the agronomic point of view or Bo-tanical but also from the culinary point of view. Certain varieties or cultivars are thus recognized for their ability to be cru-shed, others for their ability to be dried, etc. Furthermore, the quality characteris-tics of the same type of yam-based prepa-ration differ from one consumer to ano-ther.

As for the conservation and processing of yams, the low shelf life translates into large seasonal variations in availability and consequently in prices. A market chain of pre-cooked and dried yam chips, made mainly from kokoro varieties (from the Dioscorea cayenensis-rotundata group) with small tubers. This development was accompanied by the dissemination of a culinary preparation based on dried-yam flour, which has led to the elimination of most of the constraints encountered in the sectors dominated by fresh tubers. In this form, the yam can be kept for several months or even a year if storage condi-tions prevent insect attack.■

References and linksAdégbola, Y. P. ; Arouna, A., Diagne, A.,

Adékambi, S. A., 2006 : Déterminants so-cio-économiques et taux d’adoption et d’intensité d’adoption des nouvelles va-riétésde riz NERICAs au Centre-Bénin. Communication à l’atelier régional de l’ADRAO.Dar es salam, Tanzanie, 31 juil-let au 04 août 2006.Baco, M. N., Tostain S., Mongbo, R. L., Biaou G., et Lescure J-P. 2007 : Igname, plante alimentaire commerciale et cultu-relle au nord Bénin. Annales des sciences Agronomiques (9) 2 : 49-67. ISSN : 1659-5009.N. Bricas, H. Attaie. La consommation alimentaire des ignames. Synthèse des connaissances et enjeux par la recherche. L’igname, plante séculaire et culture d’avenir, Cirad, Inra, Orstom, Coraf, Coll Colloques, pp.21-30, 1998. Paita G., 1998. L’igname en Nouvelle-Ca-lédonie. In : L’igname, plante séculaire et culture d’avenir. Actes du séminaire in-ternational CIRAD-INRA-ORSTOM-CO-RAF, 3 - 6 juin 1997, Montpellier, France. 45-46.Nkamleu N., Annang D., Baco M. N. 2009. Securing levelihood through yams. Nkamleu N., Annang D., Baco M. N (Eds). Proceeding of a technical workshop on progress in yam research for developpe-ment in west and central Africa held in Accra, Ghana, 11-13 september 2007.Sodjinou, E., C. Agli, P.Y. Adegbola, 2009 : Consommation et préférence des produits d’igname par les ménages urbains de Co-tonou et de Porto-Novo, au Bénin.

The yam pounded, very popular in Benin

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Focus on the cooperative«Miyiwannoumidé» of Ouinhi

AGRO-REPORT

Joël Gbaguidi

The cooperative Miyiwannoumidé, meaning «Love one another», is a cooperative association of produ-

cers in the village of Yaago in Ouinhi com-mune, localized in Zou department since 2008, the year of creation. It has more than 95 active members, including 42 women. It is governed by a board of directors of seven (7) elected members.

The cooperative is registered under the number 0/6/1/0/0/1/1/1/4/9 of 27 October 2009 at the level of the CARDER Zou / Collines (now the Departmental Directorate for Agriculture and Fisheries) and therefore has a legal existence towar-ds the administrative authorities. It was created to unite the efforts of its members to improve their resilience to:

■ problems of declining fertility in agri-cultural soils;

■ climatic disruptions;

■ difficulties for storing their production.

Maize is the main production of the group. Members have an area of 74 ha. In addition, the women in the group are en-gaged in the processing activity of cassava into gari. This activity generates additio-nal income for the latter.

In order to strengthen the capacities of the Miyiwannoumidé cooperative (GMO), the USADF and the government of Benin through project ADF 3084-BEN have been providing financial support since 2014. The funding of these partners is directed specifically towards:

■ the intensification of maize production and the transformation of cassava into gari through a technological package adapted to climate change;

■ support for the storage of products.

As a result of this support, the members of the consortium moved into the produc-tion of short-cycle maize. The cultivated varieties are: TZEEW and 2000 SYNEEW of cycle of 75 to 80 days with a yield of

2000 -3000 kg / ha and on average of 2500 kg / ha. The adoption of these varieties in-creased the total production of the group so that the supply available annually at the group level was estimated at 309 tonnes in 2014. The increase in supply en-abled the group to sell corn to one of com-panies preparing to eat prisoners for the first time. It must be said that previously he only sold his products on local markets in Dasso, Ouinhi or Yaago.

With regard to cassava, the project en-abled the women in the group to improve their cassava processing capacities. Thus, during the funding period, they obtained 359.2 tons of gari.Thanks to the impro-vement of their performance, the group offered several services to its members in 2014. They are:

■ Bulk purchase of maize seed;

■ Fertilizer supply;

■ Installation of a processing unit.

Miyiwannoumidé cooperative in pictures

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Seat of Miyiwannoumidé cooperative

©Jo

ël

Despite these good results, the GMO faces challenges such as:■ The absence of a management policy for residues, particularly for cassava,■ The absence of formal contracts with sup-pliers,■ The limited ability to negotiate fertilizers in advance,■ Lack of awareness of market demand for products,■ The difficulty of mobilizing members’ products,■ Lack of a marketing policy.To solve these difficulties, the grouping en-visages the development of partnerships with the structures or people who can ac-company them in:

■ Definition and operationalization of a group input control mechanism (seeds, fer-tilizers),■ The process of certification of the quality of the gari by the DANA,■ Development of a marketing policy for maize and gari,■ The organization of training on hygiene rules related to the process of transforma-tion of cassava into gari and its derivatives,■ Strengthening / harmonizing producers’ capacity in the maize production process (control of the technical itinerary),■ The definition of an access strategy for their activities and■ Improving governance. ■

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OPPORTUNITIES

Czech schorlaships 2017

Fields: Agriculture, Economy, Forestry, naturals resources management, ve-terinary science.Target: Developing countries.Deadlines: september 30th 2017Link: http://www.msmt.cz/eu-and-in-ternational-affairs/government-scho-larships-developing-countries?lang=2

University of Laval schorlaships

Fields: Masters Target: Africans countries nationalDeadlines: september 15th 2017Link: https://www.bbaf.ulaval.ca/en/scholarships-bursaries/internatio-nal-students/masters-scholarships/

University of Guandong (China) schorlaships

Fields: Masters Target: outstanding foreign students .Deadlines: october 2017Link:http://iie-en.gdufs.edu.cn/Scho-larship/Guangdong_Province_Go-vernment_International_Stud.htm

Mooc of introduction to thepermaculture

Fields: This learning path addresses the history, ethics, principles and strategies of Permaculture.Target: All interested in the theme.Deadlines: september 11th 2017Link:https://open4sustainability.pt/fr/permaculture/

Mooc on Natural resources and territorial development in Africa

Fields: The objective of this course is to understand natural resource issues and to strengthen the capacity for analysis and action (management, ne-gotiation, advocacy) in this area.Target: This course is intended for people wishing to improve their knowledge of Africa’s natural re-sourcesDeadlines: october 5th 2017Link:https://open4sustainability.pt/fr/permaculture/

PUBLICATIONS

The objective of this study is to identify practices that enable small producers to access financial services and determine which practices have yielded results. It also helps to draw lessons from good practices (andAlso cases that did not work) to improve access to funding proposed by the NPM, APF, and members of both networks.76 pagesAvailable as a free download on: http://tinyurl.com/hhovpjm

The WWF 2016 Live Planet report draws a sad re-cord of the state of the planet by illustrating,The growing threats to the globe that alter climate, biodiversity, ocean health,Forests, the water cycle, the nitrogen cycle and the carbon cycle.75 pagesAvailable as a free download on: http://tinyurl.com/jsaol6f

This publication seeks to answer the following questions:1. Why defend the right of peasants to seed? What threats are weighing today on this right?2. Why and how to give the right of peasant far-mers to the legal value of a human right?20 pagesAvailable as a free download on: https://www.coordinationsud.org/wp-content/uploads/droit-des-semences-web-vf.pdf

This practical guide deals with the transformation of so-called «giant» bamboos, measuring several tens of meters in height, suitable for construction and semi-industrial uses, using the example of the Luông processing chain (Dendrocalamus Bar-batus) in North Vietnam. 237 pagesAvailable as a free download on: http://www.gret.org/publication/transforma-tion-du-bambou/

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AUTHOR’S CORNER

Marthe MontchoEditor in ChiefAgronomist specialist inProduction and animal healthmarthemontcho@gmail.com

Abomey-Calavi, Benin

Mikhaïl PadonouDesign and LayoutAgronomist specialized in natural resource managementjeandedieumika@gmail.com

Dakar, Senegal

Koudjo Espoir GagloContributorEngineer Agronomist specializing in plant productionjspero@mygglo.com

Dakar, Senegal

Ephrème Dossavi DayouContributorAgronomist specializing inAgricultural mechanization

phreddoss1@yahoo.fr

Cotonou, Bénin

Yannick Espérant B. OdjoContributorAgro-economist specializing in agricultural cooperativesesperod90@yahoo.fr

Cotonou, Benin

Joël Ahowanou V. GbaguidiContributeurAgro-economist specializing in farmers organizationsgbajo2011@gmail.com

Cotonou, Benin

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