Determinants of the diffusion of agroecological practices in plantain banana production in the South-West of Benin

Abstract

Initiatives to promote agroecological practices are widespread across the world. However, the diffusion of these agroecological practices remains limited. This study aimed to identify the key factors influencing the dissemination of agroecological practices among plantain producers in southwestern Benin. To achieve this, semi-structured interviews were conducted with representatives of a local Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) promoting agroecological practices, 63 agricultural producers trained in, and 63 other agricultural producers in the area who had not received training in agroecology. The collected data were subjected to network and discourse analyses. The network analysis was used to explore the social connections through which the diffusion of agroecological practices occurs among agricultural producers within their social systems. Discourse analysis, on the other hand, provided insights into the reasons motivating these plantain producers to disseminate the agroecological practices promoted in their community. Regarding social connections, the results revealed that the diffusion of agroecological practices is most active among agricultural producers who share the neighborhood, kinship and collective ties within the study area. According to our result, the main reasons for the dissemination of agroecological practices in the study area include the willingness to help (58%), social pressure (16%), membership in a producer group (13%), and social debt (13%). Clearly, a spirit of solidarity, social influence, belonging to a collective of agricultural producers and social debt are the key characteristics to leverage for successfully promoting the dissemination of agroecological practices within a social system.

JEL Classification: O13

Paper type: Empirical research