BENIN

Abstract and Main Features

The Stratégie Nationale de développement de l’agriculture écologique et biologique au Bénin – National Strategy for the development of ecological and organic agriculture in Benin in English – sets the stage for integrating agroecology principles and organic farming into Benin’s agricultural system. Its ambition is to promote a sustainable, resilient, and inclusive model of production that ensures food security while supporting steady socio-economic development. Over the years, organic production in Benin has diversified: once limited to cotton in the early 2000s, it now extends to other high value-added crops, thereby strengthening rural livelihoods and export potential. Rooted in values of sustainability, equity, and innovation, the strategy seeks to improve governance, market access, and competitiveness of organic products. It embodies Benin’s belief that ecological and organic farming can balance productivity with environmental protection and position the country as a regional leader in green agriculture. 

Some of the main features of this strategy include: 

• Integration of traditional knowledge and biodiversity conservation. 
• Promotion of ecological value chains. 
• Promotion of bio-inputs, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) tools, and digital monitoring systems for value chains. 
• Recognition of family and peasant farming as pillars of society and stresses the need to secure a decent income. 
• Alignment with other national programmes (e.g. le Plan Stratégique de Développement du Secteur Agricole 2025, Plan National du Développement 2018-2025, « Bénin 2025 ALAFIA » vision) and international frameworks (e.g. Agenda 2063, the African Union’s Ecological and Organic Agriculture Initiative (EOA-I), Agenda 2030, etc.). 

Objectives 

The five overall objectives of this Strategy aim at sustainably increasing produce, income and access to safe and healthy food: 

1. Ensure sustainable and balanced organic and ecological farming. 
2. Facilitate access to markets for ecological and organic agricultural (EOA) products. 
3. Promote research and develop innovations. 
4. Improve the coordinated management of ecological and organic agricultural in Benin. 
5. Promote social inclusion, gender equality, and youth engagement in agroecology. 

In addition to these five overall objectives, three strategic objectives were elaborated: 

1. Develop sustainable organic and ecological farms. 
2. Improve the quality and competitiveness of EOA products, whether processed or not. 
3. Optimize the institutional framework conditions of the EOA sub-sector. 

Key Target Groups  

This strategy explicitly acknowledges the importance to integrate the gender approach and address the needs of key target groups such as women, youth, and other vulnerable groups.  

Expected Results 

The strategy is expected to deliver the following outcomes: 

• Expansion of certified production. 
• Institutionalization of ecological and organic agriculture in Benin. 
• Job creation and contribution to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) through fisheries and aquaculture. 
• Adoption of environmentally friendly livestock practices. 
• Stronger traceability system. 

Strategy Development Process 

To develop Benin’s strategy, a technical committee (Comité Technique d’Elaboration (CTE)) has been created and gathered Abomey-Calavi and Parakou Universities, the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries (MAEP), the Ministry of Governmental Action Development and Coordination (MDC), and non-governmental organizations. Two workshops were organized in October and November 2020 to draw a first analysis/ diagnosis, which highlighted a first challenge regarding the mapping of organic farmers due to lack of data. Afterwards, the Strategic Framework and the Theory of Change were elaborated in March 2021 through consultation workshops. From November 2020 to December 2021, budget planning to support the implementation of the Strategy was elaborated. A validation workshop was held in November 2022. 

Ministries and Stakeholders Involved in the Process 

• Government Ministries coordinated by the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, and Fisheries (MAEP): Ministry of Living Environment and Sustainable Development (MCVDD), Ministry of Water and Mines (MEM), Ministry of Decentralization and Local Governance (MDGL), Ministry of the Interior and Public Security (MISP), Ministry of Health (MS), Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research (MESRS), Ministry of Secondary Education, Technical Education and Vocational Training (MESTFP), Ministry of Development and Coordination of Government Action (MDC), Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF), Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation (MAEC), Ministry of Justice and Legislation (MJL), Ministry of Social Affairs and Microfinance (MASM), Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport (MIT), Ministry of Industry and Trade (MIC), Ministry of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises and Employment Promotion (MPMPE)
  
• Producer organizations: Organisation Béninoise pour l’Agriculture Biologique (OBEPAB), PNOPPA, etc.)
• Research institutes and academia (Agence Béninoise de la Sécurité Sanitaire des Aliments (ABSSA), Institut National des Recherches Agricoles du Bénin (INRAB), Direction des Systèmes d’Information (DSI), World Vegetable Centre, Université de Parakou, Université d’Agriculture de Kétou, Université de Abomey-Calavi, etc.)
• CSOs and NGOs: Réseau du Développement d’Agriculture Durable (REDAD), ACED, Association pour le Maintien de l’Agriculture Paysanne (AMAP), PASCiB, RENOVA, etc.)
• Technical and financial partners: Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale (GIZ) through ProSoil, ProResilience and ProCIVA projects, ENABEL (Belgium), Agence Française de Développement (France), United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Dutch Development Agency (through the Agrobusiness Center), World Bank through projects such as ProAgri and PACOFIDE. 

Implementation 

The implementation phase envisions actions in the following intervention areas to ensure the successful achievement of the Strategy’s objectives:  

     1-1) Strengthening research, development, and training. 

     1-2) Strengthening access to quality productive resources. 

     2-1) Facilitation of market access for EOA products. 

     2-2) Valorization of EOA products. 

     2-3) Strengthening communication and information. 

     3-1) Improving the legal and organizational framework of EOA value chains. 

     3-2) Adaptation to legislation and regulation. 

     3-3) Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning. 

Budget and Funding 

The Strategy mentions that the estimated budget for implementing the Strategy’s objectives is FCFA 12.875.522.000 (approx. USD 23.011.596,44). 

Funding sources identified to ensure the implementation of this Strategy are: 

• Allocations from the national budget (with the objective of meeting the 10% commitment as agreed in the Maputo Declaration). 
• Ecotourism. 
• Events and fairs dedicated to organic food, markets, etc. 
• Mobilization of funds from Certification and Participatory Guarantee Systems (PGS) for biological local products. 
• NGOs through projects/programmes. 
• Direct actors of the biological value-chains (organic producers associations, private operators, etc.). 
• Private sector and micro-finance bodies. 
• Technical and financial partners: UNDP, African Development Bank, the European Union, African Union, French Development Agency (AFD), the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Islamic Development Bank, GIZ, Rural Economic Development Support Programme, Embassy of the Netherlands in Benin. 
• Leveraging the sale and exportation of key organic crops (organic cotton, organic pineapple, cashew, soy, etc.). 
• Organization of a roundtable for the mobilization of resources. 
• Local and regional authorities. 

N.B: This summary was reviewed by Benin’s Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, and Fisheries

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Image Credit: Iles de Paix