The Trade for Development Centre supports campaigns to promote more sustainable agriculture in various African countries. This is the case of the National Week of Ecological Agriculture in Benin, which aims to disseminate knowledge, good practices and innovations in agroecology.
Agroecology, a priority for market garden production
Benin has 13 priority agricultural sectors, including a number of cash crops and food crops. For soya, cotton and cashew nuts, prices are set by the State, with a distinction made each time between the price for the conventional product and a higher price for the organic product. No prices are set for other crops. It’s the market that decides. “At the opening of the Semaine Nationale de l’Agriculture Ecologique (National Week for Ecological Farming), the French Minister of Agriculture made it clear that he did not believe that agroecology would develop strongly for major crops such as cotton or soya. But for certain specific sub-sectors, such as market gardening, he is calling for greater emphasis to be placed on agro-ecological approaches”, explains Professor Adam Ahanchede, a lecturer and researcher at the Faculty of Agronomic Sciences at the University of Abomey-Calavi.
Improving the availability of inputs and increasing training
Agroecological sectors face a number of challenges, including “access to and availability of quality organic inputs, training and support for producers”, explains Professor Ahanchede. “Farmers need to be trained. They know how to use mineral fertiliser in a maize crop, but it’s sometimes harder for them to use organic fertiliser.” And organic production is not easy in some cases, such as pineapple production. “Ethefon is still used for the physiological ripening and yellowing of pineapples, but efforts are being made both by public bodies and by certain producers to limit the use of this product. Research is currently being carried out in our laboratories to see if there are organic alternatives.”
The University of Abomey-Calavi has several scientists working on agroecology. They are showing that it is possible to produce similar quantities while making the most of biological resources and ensuring food sovereignty. “I myself have been working on weeds for a number of years, and we have set up a programme focusing on their use,” explains Professor Ahanchede. “Some of our students are currently working on their biomineralisation. One of our biofertilisers has even recently been patented. It has dual properties – fertiliser and herbicide. We started with a plant with allelopathic* powers to develop it. One of our challenges is to inform the general public about our work, what we have been able to experiment with in the field and the results of our research.” This is precisely one of the aims of the Semaine Nationale de l’Agriculture Ecologique (SNAE).
Professor Adam Ahanchede speaking at the SNAE
Scientific papers, panels and exhibition
Organised under the dome of the Faculty of Agronomic Sciences at the University of Abomey-Calavi, the first SNAE took place in two phases. From 22 to 25 October on the campus of the University of Abomey-Calavi and from 20 to 23 November on that of the University of Parakou, in the presence of Eléonore Yayi and Gaston Dossouhoui, respectively Benin’s Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research and Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries.
More than 300 participants attended the event, which featured a dozen papers on scientific research highlighting the effectiveness of agro-ecological technologies. The best of these will be published in the form of technical fact sheets and distributed via a digital platform bringing together researchers, innovators, input suppliers and agro-bio-ecological farmers. The whole project is partly funded by Enabel’s Trade for Development Centre.
Panel discussions gave agro-ecology players an opportunity to exchange views with the CEOs of public bodies and NGOs. “In particular, they were able to explain the process involved in taking an innovation from research to production, not forgetting the administrative formalities involved in obtaining approval and marketing authorisation. This process can take one to two years, or even longer depending on the tests required,” explains Adam Ahanchede, the driving force behind the SNAE.
The production of organic inputs is beginning to develop locally. “Two or three companies, such as BioPhyto, whose CEO was one of the SNAE panellists, are investing in the formulation of bio-inputs in the form of composts and pesticides. Some start-ups like ABC Growers are run by our graduates. They have become company bosses. ABC Growers produces foliar and crop-specific liquid organic fertilisers (especially for market garden and horticultural crops), such as peppers, tomatoes and papaya. These liquid organic fertilisers are produced via the process of biomineralisation of weeds using colonies of micro-organisms present in the soil. Describing the processes involved means that producers can learn more about the technologies they have developed”. New agro-ecological products and practices were also presented at an exhibition that brought together some forty stands spread over the two university sites.
Example of products presented in the SNAE exhibition
Definition of policies and means of implementation
As Professor Adam Ahanchede points out, although the University of Abomey-Calavi works closely with government bodies on agricultural policy, there is often a lack of resources for implementation. “The Ministry of Higher Education and the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries ask us to draft policy documents. At the moment, for example, we’re working on collecting data on the shea industry and on a development strategy for the sector. We have also been involved in setting up Benin’s National Agricultural Research Programme. It’s more difficult for the Ministry of Agriculture to release the resources needed to implement the programmes that have been devised. That’s why we’re often in the process of developing projects and approaching partners like Enabel’s Trade for Development Centre.”
Samuel Poos, project manager of the Trade for Development Centre.
To find out more: see the report on the National Week of Ecological Agriculture in Benin by Le RURAL BENIN TV.
