Agriculture in Benin information

Benin is predominantly a rural society, and agriculture in Benin supports more than 70% of the population. Agriculture contributes around 35% of the country's gross domestic product (GDP) and 80% of export income. While the Government of Benin (GOB) aims to diversify its agricultural production, Benin remains underdeveloped, and its economy is underpinned by subsistence agriculture. Approximately 93% of total agricultural production goes into food production. The proportion of the population living in poverty is about 35.2%, with more rural households in poverty (38.4%) than urban households (29.8%). 36% of households depend solely upon agricultural (crop) production for income, and another 30% depend on crop production, livestock, or fishing for income.^[1]

Cotton is the principal cash crop and accounts for 70% of export earnings. Cotton is mostly exported as bales with only 3% of total production processed locally, making the country heavily dependent on world cotton prices. Cashews, shea nuts and shea butter, pineapples, palm products, and some cocoa and coffee also are export crops. Animal and meat exports to nearby countries contribute a significant amount to the agricultural economy, but remains mostly outside official recorded statistics. Corn, beans, rice, peanuts, cashews, pineapples, cassava, yams, other tubers, and vegetables and fruits are grown for local subsistence and for export to neighboring countries through informal cross-border trading activities. Top commodities produced by quantity are cassava, yams, corn, pineapples, tomatoes, rice, cottonseed, cashew nuts, fresh fruit, and groundnuts. Top commodities produced by value are yams, cassava, cotton lint, cashew nuts, pineapples, corn, tomatoes, cattle, hot peppers, and rice.^[1]

Since 2008 the GOB has been actively involved in strengthening agricultural development and the staple crop value chains. Benin is a party to commitments made by the heads of government at the various world summits on food and nutrition, including the Millennium Summit. As of 2014, improving agricultural productivity and strengthening diversification were on the top of President Boni Yayi's agenda for agricultural development and overall poverty reduction strategy. The country's long-term vision is to move towards greater diversification in order to become a major exporter of agricultural products by 2025.^[1]

To start, the GOB has focused on corn and rice to promote food security and food self-sufficiency. Coarse grains (corn, sorghum, millet) and rice are mostly grown by independent small-scale farmers, who are responsible for producing 90% of the total output while using between 7% and 10% of the total arable land available. Many of the farmers that grow cotton or corn do so on only 1 hectare (2.5 acres), with the largest single farm only reaching up to 18 hectares (44 acres) of land. Current national actions are still very weak, and national plans for food security are mostly focused on staple food (calories) production and addressing nutrient deficiencies by supplementation (vitamin A & iron), food fortification, and salt iodization.^[1]

While the GOB aims to diversify its agricultural production, Benin remains underdeveloped and dependent upon the world price for cotton and regional trade. Agriculture policy is set and implemented or influenced by a number of ministries, including the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock Breeding, and Fishing (Ministère de l'Agriculture, de l'Elevage, et de la Pêche), Ministry of Industry and Trade, Ministry of Economy and Finances, and the Ministry of Transport and Public Works. Extension services are provided at the Department level through the CerPA (Regional Center for Agriculture Promotion, Centre Régional pour la Promotion Agricole). Research is carried out at the National Institute of Agriculture Research (Institut National des Recherches Agricoles du Bénin; INRAB) and the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA). Partners working with the GOB to improve the agricultural sector include the United Nations Development Programme, the World Bank, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), SNV Benin, the European Union, the Corporation for International Cooperation (GIZ), French Development Agency (AFD), and many non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and initiatives.^[1]