IITA - Integrated Pest Management (IPM) in Peri-Urban Agrigulture

• Unité de recherche: DDC
• Numéro de projet: 7F-02957.03
• Titre du projet anglais: IITA - Integrated Pest Management (IPM) in Peri-Urban Agrigulture

Mots-clé (Allemand)

IITA
Integrated Pest Management
IPM
Agrigulture
Forschung
Landwirtschaftlichte Produktivität und Technologie
Agrarwirtschaft

Description succincte (Anglais)

Peri-urban agriculture is an increasingly important source of livelihood in many African countries. In Cotonou, Benin, for example, there are at least 11 farmers groups producing about 6000 tons of vegetable produce annually and solely for domestic consumption. The common crops are leafy, root and fruit vegetables, cowpea, and maize, planted in various crop production systems and crop diversity schemes. Preliminary joint analysis with farmers at two vegetable sites in Cotonou indicates that the potential exists to significantly increase the benefit/cost ratio of cabbage production, for example. Vegetable production is, however, undermined by a number of limiting factors. The major limiting factors identified at the three sites in Cotonou are soil fertility, pests , and irrigation infrastructure. Most of these and other limiting factors are being tackled by local NGO projects or by the government. Farmers' coping strategies against pests often remain largely ineffective, and since they remain often neglected by other projects, they are the focus of this project.

Objectifs du projet (Anglais)

To increase food security through the production of healthy vegetables for urban consumers in Bénin

Résumé des résultats (Abstract) (Anglais)

The project aims at bringing expertise from different institutions, including NGOs, together, providing a framework for further research and implementation based on the latest products and techniques available and following their possible adaptation to local conditions in Cotonou and Niamey. For some of the key problems, environmentally friendly and sustainable 'on-the-shelf' solutions are indeed available, at least to some communities. In a modified context, where particularly pollution and health problems become known, these partial solutions can be brought to bear on the problems. The project should therefore have an impact already during its lifetime, to be increased later as new research and its products become available.

The project will enhance local capacities to develop peri-urban IPM through participatory approaches to grow healthier crops, increase yields and protect human health and biodiversity with increased market opportunities for the farmers. The primary beneficiaries will be small-scale farmers, who will benefit from a production environment with minimum insecticide use. Increased technical capacity within farming communities will allow proper harnessing of peri-urban biodiversity and integration of indigenous knowledge in technology development. The project will result in lower production costs and less harmful production systems, while maintaining high quality of produce for consumers.

Mise en oeuvre et application (Anglais)

While the partners in Benin are identified and ready to go, the partners in Niger are yet to be identified and tested for their capacity. In order to have a similar progress in both countries from the very beginning, and in order to take advantage of two country teams preliminary information and partnerships in Niger have to be created.

Also for the refinement of the project proposal, output a) (a. The objectives, constraints and opportunities of target clients concerning the production of healthy vegetables, and the technical and economic feasibility of existing and potential IPM technologies will be assessed in and around two typical urban centres, Cotonou (Bénin: forest-savanna mosaic) and Niamey (Niger: dry savanna) through farmers participatory surveys) will be the main task for year 1. It will consist in a thorough analysis of the constraints where the subsequent outputs are based on. The first year is also an integral part of the project.

Output e) (e. Through training, capacity will be built for empowerment and sustainable actions. Farmers' field schools (FFS) and other participatory methods will be copied and adapted from FFS activities in other localities.) is the main capacity building component on farmers level and will start parallel to the surveys suggested in output a. It will start in the second half of the first year.

An initial workshop planned in July in Cotonou will plan this first year with both country representatives. The results on this first year will then lead to the final project proposal with funding for year 2 and 3. It will also have to identify the regional leads and advantages of a regional approach. For the first year, subject of this credit proposal, the following budget shall be made available: