Farmers’ and Herders’ Perceptions on Rangeland Management in Two Agroecological Zones of Benin

Abstract

The sustainable use of rangelands in pastoral areas requires the inclusion of all stakeholders to develop sound management strategies. However, the role of these actors in the sustainable management of natural resources is still poorly understood. The present study aims to (i) assess the perception of farmers and herders of the risks and opportunities of transhumance on rangeland resource use and management, and to (ii) generate useful knowledge for the design and implementation of policies that favor the coexistence of these actors and reduce competition over rangeland resources use in Benin. To this end, interviews were conducted with 240 crop farmers and herders using a semi-structured questionnaire in two contrasting agroecological zones in the northern (Kandi) and the southern (Kétou) part of the country. Among the respondents, 64% of farmers in the North were agro-pastoralists (owning 10.6 ha of land and 10.7 cattle) and 36% were herders (keeping 45.8 cattle and cultivating about 3.7 ha of land). They perceived that communal rangelands were entirely degraded. In the South, 36% of respondents were agro-pastoralists (with 0.3 cattle and farming 4 ha of land) and 64% cattle herders (raising 45.3 cattle and farming 0.9 ha of land only). Of the herders, 50% kept cattle for more than 20 years, while agro-pastoralists had no previous experience in cattle herding. Cultivation practices among crop farmers, such as high use of mineral fertilization (23.8%) and bush fires for land clearing (22.5%), were reported in Kandi (North) and Kétou (South) as factors that might contribute to land degradation. However, these farmers perceived transhumance as a threat to the sustainable use of natural resources. In contrast, herders perceived transhumance as an opportunity to valorize unused land and increase the availability of manure to cropland. The prevalent negative attitude of crop farmers regarding transhumant herders increases the vulnerability of cattle herding in both regions. There is an urgent need of raising awareness concerning the mutual benefits provided by the coexistence of crop farmers with herders to promote participative rangeland management strategies. This may contribute towards coping with the current challenges of food insecurity and increasing climate variability as well as to reducing recurrent conflicts in the region.

“Sedentarisation” of transhumant pastoralists results in privatization of resources and soil fertility decline in West Africa's cotton belt

“…They have adopted cereal-based agriculture that relies on animal manure, hired labor, and herbicides, allowing them to diversify income and compensate for the decapitalization of livestock that is often experienced as a tragedy (Dongmo et al, 2012). For the past few decades, west African agriculture, and more specifically agro-pastoral systems, have been experiencing recurrent shocks that are increasingly strong and diverse under the effect of major global changes (Yapi-Gnaore et al, 2014;Diogo et al, 2021).…”

“…The new sedentary pastoralists were able to diversify their activity portfolio by growing crops for food and the market, capitalizing on crop-livestock interactions on their own farm (Diarisso, 2015). But this sedendarisation was also perceived as a deprivation of resources by some herders (Diogo et al, 2021), because it implied the reduction of the mobility of the herd, which formerly gave access to natural national and international grazing areas.…”

Machine Learning-Based Intrusion Detection System For Space Monitoring : Case Study Of Farming In Benin

“…Land degradation has been a constant challenge for farmers and ranchers as it accompanied the spread of agriculture in prehistoric times. It can create dangerous outcomes like deaths when large herds enter neighboring fields, making it necessary for authorities to be alerted to the presence of brows anywhere in the land [5], [18], [19]. In order to reduce deadly outcomes and large herds of animals roaming fields, pioneers need to lessen the conflict between agricultural experts.…”

“…Finally, some other studies discussed the importance of a good agricultural practice in contrast to forests establishment as a way to increase both rangelands' productivity and the appreciation of rangeland use and management. From the outputs of these studies, we are able to determine the importance of transhumance and the pipelines of transhumance in Benin and some countries who have the same challenges [19].…”

Smart Monitoring System using Internet of Things: Application for Agricultural Management in Benin

“…Land degradation has been a constant challenge for farmers and ranchers as it accompanied the spread of agriculture in prehistoric times. It can create dangerous outcomes like death when large herds enter in neighboring fields, making it necessary for authorities to be alerted to their presence, anywhere in the land [5], [14]. In order to reduce deadly outcomes and large herds of animals roaming fields, pioneers need to lessen the conflict between agricultural experts.…”