Private AreaMatchmaking Tools
› (21-P-07) Development of Organic Rotation Crops Value Chain
- Thematic Area: Sustainable Chains of Production and Consumption
- Partner country: Benin
- Leading Agency: Organisation Béninoise pour la Promotion de l’Agriculture Biologique (OBEPAB)
- Implementing Agencies: To be selected in the "Call for Proposals II Phase Pilot Projects"
- Beneficiaries: 2000 of farmers of which one third of women are expected the coming season. The current production zones include: Djidja, Setto, Glazoué in Central Benin and Kandi and Sinendé in Northern Benin. The present production zones include: Djidja, Setto, Glazoué in Central Benin and Kandi and Sinendé in Northern Benin
› Problem Definition:
Today, organic cotton production in Benin involves more than 1000 farmers in five districts (Setto, Djidja, Glazoué, Kandi and Sinendé); i.e. in all major agro-ecological cotton growing areas in Benin. Organic alternatives to agrochemicals have been developed. Soil fertility is based on the use of palm oil cake, animal manures, green manures and a proper rotation. The use of botanical extracts and physical collection of bollworms are used in pest control. The practices of conventional farmers have also been influenced. For example, in many villages where organic cotton is produced, conventional farmers also use the palm oil cake ‘tchotchokpo’.
› Project Description:
The specifics objectives are the following:
- Analyse the value chain of selected rotation crops in order to find out the strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats for the development of the value chain (identification of current and potential actors, supporters, influencers, etc.)
- Develop a sustainable institutional plate form for an integrated value chain oriented toward the market
- Share OBEPAB experiences and skills in terms of organic farmers technical to others organizations promoting organic agriculture within PSC mechanism.
› Overall Objective:
The project aims at promoting selected crops from organic cotton rotation system through the development of their value chain.
› Implementing Strategy:
The methodological approach which will be used to implement the project is based on the principle that we cannot induce a sustainable social change if the main actors concerned aren’t in the centre of thought and actions. Indeed, the object of the project required an ascendant approach based on process facilitation. Firstly, at national level, the implementation process will constitute of: sensitization session, training session, participative study on the development of value chain, exchange visits between potential partners from
Buthan and/or Cost-Rica and Benin, documents and skills sharing with the partners, etc.
The knowledge OBEPAB could share with the partner in the second phase is relative to the technical knowledge package. This includes the establishment of internal control system for organic and fair product certification, the farmer field school approach and its implementation, the management of weeds, pests and diseases, soil fertility in organic way, etc.
