Poverty Dynamics and Agricultural Practices for Environment Conservation in African Rural Area: the Case of Adja plateau in Southern Benin

PhD Dissertation:

Emile N. HOUNGBO (2008). Poverty Dynamics and Agricultural Practices for Environment Conservation in African Rural Area: the Case of Adja plateau in Southern Benin. University of Abomey-Calavi, Benin, 309 pages.

Director: Prof. Brice A. SINSIN.

Abstract: The influence of increase in land pressure on agricultural production and the environment is disputed. On one hand the pessimists, mainly represented by MALTHUS (1798), think that land pressure is associated to negative effects on agricultural production and leads to famine, environmental degradation and rural exodus. On the other hand the optimists, mainly represented by BOSERUP (1970), think that land pressure is an essential factor for technological change and agricultural intensification. In fact, although in general the demographic and food evolution in Africa presents a Malthusian trend, like the cases of Yatenga in Burkina Faso, Serer district in Senegal and Adja plateau in Benin Republic, it was even though observed some Boserupian evolutions like the cases of Bamileke district in Cameroon and the district of Machakos in Kenya. One wonders if it’s still possible to presage in Africa a generalised optimistic evolution of BOSERUP (1970) and in which conditions.

This thesis, from a temporal analysis of 122 households on the Adja plateau in the southern Benin, is developing a theoretical intermediary position between MALTHUS theory and that of BOSERUP. It’s demonstrating that in land pressure situation, the farmers’ welfare state was a determinant of improving agricultural practices development and agricultural productivity improvement. Land pressure does not induce ipso facto technological change and agricultural development.

 Theoretical relationship between land pressure and agricultural productivity

 The MALTHUS spectrum and the optimistic vision of BOSERUP represent the extreme situations induced by a higher chronic poverty rate in the first case and a lower chronic poverty rate in the second case. In order that the farmers can develop sustainable agriculture in land pressure situation, it’s necessary to alleviate or eradicate chronic poverty among them by facilitating a truly profitable agriculture.

https://tel.archives-ouvertes.fr/tel-00680042/document

 

 

  • Musée de Zoologie BIOTA et bâtiment Professeur Mama Adamou N'DIAYE. (Photo credit: Dr Akomian Fortuné Azihou / Laboratoire d’Ecologie Appliquée (LEA), Octobre 2018)
  • Lokoli (Photo credit: Dr Akomian Fortuné Azihou / Laboratoire d’Ecologie Appliquée (LEA), Octobre 2018)
  • Bâtiment Professeur Nestor SOKPON (en haut à gauche), bâtiment des volontaires (en bas à gauche), bâtiment Dr KASSA (à droite). (Photo credit: Dr Akomian Fortuné Azihou / Laboratoire d’Ecologie Appliquée (LEA), Octobre 2018)
  • Brousse tigrée (Photo credit: Dr Akomian Fortuné Azihou / Laboratoire d’Ecologie Appliquée (LEA), Octobre 2018)
  • Bâtiment Professeur Nestor SOKPON (à droite), bâtiment des volontaires de l'UAC (à gauche). (Photo credit: Dr Akomian Fortuné Azihou / Laboratoire d’Ecologie Appliquée (LEA), Octobre 2018)
  • Cascade de Tanongou (Photo credit: Dr Akomian Fortuné Azihou / Laboratoire d’Ecologie Appliquée (LEA), Octobre 2018)
  • FM Deve (Photo credit: Dr Akomian Fortuné Azihou / Laboratoire d’Ecologie Appliquée (LEA), Octobre 2018)
  • Système Agroforestier à palmier à huile. (Photo credit: Dr Akomian Fortuné Azihou / Laboratoire d’Ecologie Appliquée (LEA), Octobre 2018)
  • Mare-Bali (Photo credit: Dr Akomian Fortuné Azihou / Laboratoire d’Ecologie Appliquée (LEA), Octobre 2018)
  • Building of the Laboratory of Applied Ecology (LEA). (Credit photo: Dr Akomian Fortuné Azihou / LEA, Abomey-Calavi, Benin, October 2018)
    Building of the Laboratory of Applied Ecology (LEA). (Credit photo: Dr Akomian Fortuné Azihou / LEA, Abomey-Calavi, Benin, October 2018)
  • Odo Octhèrè (Photo credit: Dr Akomian Fortuné Azihou / Laboratoire d’Ecologie Appliquée (LEA), Octobre 2018)
  • Vue globale des 5 bâtiments du Laboratoire d’Ecologie Appliquée (LEA). (Photo credit: Dr Akomian Fortuné Azihou / LEA, Octobre 2018)
  • Système agroforestier à Faidherbia albida. (Photo credit: Dr Akomian Fortuné Azihou / Laboratoire d’Ecologie Appliquée (LEA), Octobre 2018)
  • Vue globale des bâtiments du Laboratoire d’Ecologie Appliquée (LEA). (Photo credit: Dr Akomian Fortuné Azihou / LEA, Octobre 2018)

Emile Nounagnon HOUNGBO

HIGHLIGHTS

  • Agricultural Economist & Sustainable Development Specialist
  • Agricultural Development Analyst
  • Writer / Published author
  • Publisher of more than 30 scientific papers
  • Expert of Evaluation for Food Security, Agriculture & Rural Development (EVAL-ForwARD)
  • President of Benin National Branch of the UNEP Ecosystem-Based Adaptation for Food Security Assembly (EBAFOSA)
  • Focal Point in Benin of the CAMES Thematic Research Programme on “Governance and Development”
  • Reviewer of many journals including: Annales des Sciences Agronomiques, Int. Journ. Biol. Chem. Sci., VertigO, Bulletin de la Recherche Agronomique du Bénin 

CONTACT INFORMATION

05 B.P. 774 Cotonou, Benin

Cell: (229) 67 76 37 22

E-Mail: [email protected]

[email protected]

EDUCATION

  • Ph.D., University of Abomey-Calavi, 2008, Major: Socio-Economics, Environment and Sustainable Development
  • MS, University of Abomey-Calavi, 2005, Major: Socio-Economics, Environment and Sustainable Development
  • Degree of Agricultural Economist, University of Abomey-Calavi, 1996, Major: Rural Economics and Sociology
  • High School Diploma, CEG Akpakpa-Centre, Cotonou, Benin, 1990, Major: Biology-Geology,  Mathematics and Physics (Diplôme de Baccalauréat, Série Scientifique, BG)

SKILLS, EXPERTISE AND RESEARCH INTEREST

  • SKILLS & EXPERTISE

Economic Analysis, Poverty Analysis, Projects Appraisal, M&E & Evaluation, Agricultural Development and Food Security Analysis, Strategic Planning, Logical Framework, Didactics & Pedagogy.

  • RESEARCH INTEREST

Sustainable Agriculture, Ecosystem-Based Agriculture, Agroforestry, Agronomy, Applied Ecology, Agri-biodiversity & Conservation.

SELECTED GEOGRAPHICAL REGION OF EXPERIENCE

Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Kenya, Mali, Nigeria, Senegal, Togo, Italy, France, Israël.

EXPERIENCE IN RESEARCH

  • National research projects (Wild Palm, Blast, Fruit Flies, WAAPP, etc.)
  • International institutions research projects (CGF, IFS, PIFSAP, etc.)

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS

  • President for Benin of the “Ecosystem-based Adaptation for Food Security in Africa (EBAFOSA)”.
  • National Coordinator for Benin of the project “10,000 Agro Ecological Gardens in Africa” of the Slow Food Foundation for Biodiversity, Italy.
  • Member of the FAO Forum on Food Security and Nutrition (FSN Forum).
  • Member of the FAO Community of Practice on Evaluation for Food Security, Agriculture & Rural Development (EVAL-ForwARD).
  • Member, National Committee of the Geographical Indications Identification in Benin (CoNaMP-IG).

SELECTED HONORS AND AWARDS

  • 2013 : Selected for participation in the Conference of knowledge fair on the Consolidation of the Resilience to Food Security and Nutrition in the Sahel and West Africa, Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso), 5-7 november 2013, Topic: Initiative « Mille Jardins en Afrique » au Bénin.
  • 2009: Selected for poster presentation during the World Congress of Agroforestry 2009, Nairobi– Kenya, 23-28 August 2009.
  • 2003: Grantee of the International Foundation for Science, Sweden (IFS), Topic: “Socio-economic determinants of mining agriculture persistence of in the high land pressure zones of the southern Benin”.
  • 2002: Grantee for the INRAB (The Institute of Agricultural Research in Benin) competitive fund for research – 2002, Topic: “Analysis of the opportunity costs of the Mucuna adoption for the southern Benin farmers.”
  • 1999: Selected by the IPALAC (Israël) for oral presentation at its International Scientific Conference on “Combating desertification with plants”, Beer Sheva – Israel, Topic: “The obstacles to the adoption of cover crops: The Mucuna in Benin”.

PUBLICATIONS 

  • Houngbo, N. E. 2015. Diversité et critères d’adoption des cultivars de maïs (Zea mays L.) dans le village Zounnou, Centre Bénin, Journal of Applied Biosciences 96 : 9094-9101http://www.ajol.info/index.php/jab/article/view/129189
  • Houngbo, N. E., Abiola, A., Adandonon, A. 2015. Contraintes liées au développement de la culture du taro (Colocasia esculenta) au sud-Bénin, International Journal of Neglected and Underutilized Species (IJNUS) (2015) 1 :1-9.
  • Houngbo, N. E., 2013. Socioéconomie du déclin de la production cotonnière au Bénin: Cas du village Kodji (Centre Bénin), Agronomie Africaine 25(2) : 187-193, http://www.ajol.info/index.php/aga/article/view/99319
  • Houngbo, N. E.; Djègo, J.; Orékan, V.; Lougbégnon, T.; Mongbo, R. & Sinsin, B., 2013. Could sacredness contribute to forest conservation in African urban areas? Annales des Sciences Agronomiques 17(1): 1-10, http://www.ajol.info/index.php/asab/article/view/106722
  • Djihinto, C.A., Hougni, A., Houngbo, N. E., Katary, A., Bokonon-Ganta, H. A. 2013. Insecticide resistance fitness cost and resistance stability, International Journal of Tropical Agriculture and Food Systems 7(1): 17–29http://www.ajol.info/index.php/index/browse/category?categoryId=5
  • Houngbo, N. E.; Floquet, A. & Sinsin, B., 2012. “Poverty and Agroforestry Adoption : The Cases of Mucuna pruriens and Acacia auriculiformis in Godohou Village (Southern Benin)”, Journal of Life Sciences 6 (2012) 794-800, USA.
  • Houngbo, N. E. 2014. Pour une agriculture au service de la sécurité alimentaire et nutritionnelle en Afrique, Bulletin de veille Inter-réseaux développement rural n°251, p5 & Blog de FARM (19/12/2014).
  • http://www.fondation-farm.org/zoe.php?s=blogfarm&w=wt&idt=1851 

 

More at https://www.researchgate.net/profile/HOUNGBO_E

 

LAST UPDATED ON: SEPTEMBER 27, 2018