Input Policies and Crop Diversification: Evidence from the Collines Region in Benin

Abstract

Formulating policy to strengthen rural livelihood in a country like Benin may be very challenging. This paper investigates the effect of input policies on crop diversification in rural Benin. Multistage sampling techniques have been used to collect primary data from 522 households in the Collines Region. Considering access to fertilizer and seed policies, we used a linear regression analysis to find that access to fertilizer and seed negatively affect the extent of crop diversification. Although some factors (household size and access to extension services) have a positive relationship with crop diversification, we maintain that if the government wants to promote crop diversification as a farmer's strategy to manage risk and uncertainty, there is a need to rethink the input policies. Nevertheless, making fertilizer and seed accessible to farmers is a great opportunity in a country where access to inputs is the major agricultural constraint.

A review on the contribution of crop diversification to Sustainable Development Goal 1 “No poverty” in different world regions

“…Similar positive relationships were also verified by Dorsey () in Kenya, Chibwana, Fisher, and Shively () in Malawi, McCord et al () in semiarid agricultural systems near Mount Kenya, Hitayezu, Zegeye, and Ortmann () in South Africa, and Shahbaz, Boz, and Haq () in Pakistan. Contrary to this, Adjimoti et al () found out that in Benin, larger land holdings were associated with lower diversification, mainly due to the fact that large farm size holders tended to diversify into high‐value crops and then specialise on this crop (e.g., cashew cultivation). In fact, Birthal et al () considers that large‐scale farmers are often better able to bear the risks associated with the production and marketing of high‐value commodities than small‐scale farmers.…”

“…Shahbaz et al (), found, however, that self‐owned operated farms in Punjab region in Pakistan were less likely to undertake crop diversification than other forms of tenure, such as renters and shareholders, but they do not explain why. In Benin, Adjimoti et al () observed that female‐headed households are less likely to diversify into agroforestry because of the traditional land tenure system, which is favourable to men.…”

“…This literature review also shows contradictory findings about the effect of input policies, such as fertiliser and seed subsidies, on crop diversification. Adjimoti et al () found a negative effect of input policies on crop diversification in rural Benin and observed that these led to specialisation on one specific crop instead. Sahley, Groelsema, Marchione, and Nelson (), Dorward and Chirwa cited by Chisinga, Mangani, and Mvula (), and Chibwana et al () observed that, in Malawi, programmes created by government policies to distribute maize seeds and fertiliser among smallholder farmers (e.g., Farm Input Subsidy Programme—FISP 2005–2006) contributed to simplify crop diversification.…”

“…Another barrier that might prevent farmers from implementing crop diversification is farm size. Most of the studies reviewed found a positive relation between farm size and crop diversification, with only one study (Adjimoti et al, ) finding a negative relation. McCord et al () link the positive relation between farm size and crop diversification with increased farmers' ability to tolerate risk as it considers that farmers with larger landholdings have more cultivable space to experiment with new crops.…”

“…Within agriculture, one of the strategies suggested as a pathway to poverty alleviation is crop diversification (e.g., Birthal, Jha, Joshi, & Singh, ; FAO, ; Perz, ), considered one of the most ecologically feasible, cost‐effective, and easier ways of reducing the effect of uncertainties, especially among small‐scale farmers (Mugendi Njeru, ). One common definition of crop diversification is the addition of more crops to an existing cropping system (Adjimoti, Kwadzo, Sarpong, & Onumah, ). Clements, Haggar, Quezada, and Torres () associates crop diversification to the replacement of low‐value commodities by high‐value commodities, usually fruits and vegetables for the export market.…”