The aim of this study was to provide information on post-harvest losses (PHLs) along the main value-added chains in the soybean industry, and on farmers’ strategies for reducing these losses in Benin. Data were collected using a subjective method (questionnaires) from 152 direct actors in the soybean value chain and an objective method (technological monitoring using technological monitoring sheets) from 27 processing units using a two-stage sampling technique in eighteen of the country’s municipalities. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. The results revealed that post-harvest losses in soybean value chains ranged from 0.03% to 7.98%. The highest loss percentages were 7.98% (production), 10.0% (processing), and 4.27% (marketing), and were obtained during the subjective measurements. The link most affected by PHL was the production link. These losses were mainly observed during threshing, winnowing, sorting, and harvesting operations. The main causes of these losses were poor mechanization and a lack of skills for post-harvest operations. The main strategies developed by players to cope with this situation remained traditional (timely harvesting, use of appropriate equipment, and good storage practices). However, additional efforts in terms of infrastructure, adapted subsidies/credits, and recruitment of specialists are needed to mechanize the operations most sensitive to losses and to reinforce the capacities of agricultural actors in order to considerably reduce post-harvest losses.

Existing literature about public policies in Sub-Saharan Africa predominantly focuses on international institutional and foreign power interference and limited attention has been paid to personal stakeholders' perspectives. This study examines stakeholders' perceptions regarding the major institutional changes that have occurred in Benin's agricultural sector since 2016 and the factors influencing these perceptions. Data were gathered from 1500 farmers and 383 key informants representing public and private institutions across Benin's Agricultural Development Poles. Continuous thematic content analyses and analytical questioning were employed to explore the stakeholders' social representations regarding institutional reform. Relative frequency distributions and polarity indices were calculated to determine the direction (positive or negative) of the stakeholder' perceptions. Additionally, the factors influencing stakeholder' perceptions were analyzed using logistic regression models. The results reveal that institutional stakeholders held positive opinions regarding the territorialization of agricultural development, both regarding its relevance and formulation approach. However, the approaches associated with the abolition of certain structures or agencies received negative connotations. The relevance of this reform was positively evaluated by institutional managers but viewed less favorably by non-managers. Stakeholders linked the positive aspects of the reforms to the shared vision of revitalizing agricultural sector development. To foster consensus and align reforms with stakeholders' aspirations, policymakers must expand consultation at all level.

Since Benin’s accession to national sovereignty and its entry into the market economy, the governance of the agricultural sector has undergone major transformations to meet the challenges it faces. These changes have led to the experimentation of various developmental approaches to the dominant ideology of each period. However, the various agricultural policies initiated by the government seem to have led to inconclusive results in terms of boosting the Beninese agricultural sector. Here, we critically analyze Benin’s agricultural reforms from 1960 to the present by reviewing the available literature on the subject. The results show that the main changes identified relate to the alignment of agricultural policies with the directives of external powers and national orientations, as well as an overhaul of the sector’s governance structures. Recently, the institutional reforms undertaken have essentially been summarized in the territorialization of agricultural development, the rationalization of the institutional landscape, and the liberalization of advisory services. However, the agricultural sector is still characterized by a certain immobility despite the claimed reforms with an apparent participatory approach to its governance. The effective consideration of the aspirations of all stakeholders in the implementation of reforms is key to ensuring ownership of agricultural policies.

Benin's rice sector meets less than half of national demand despite a threefold increase in production over the past decade, yet the commercialization constraints facing smallholders remain poorly understood. This study estimates, using two independent cross-sectional regression models applied to 120 smallholder rice farmers sampled in the Glazoué municipality (Benin), the determinants of the marketed surplus rate and the marketed quantity of rice. A mixed-methods design combines structured surveys with six focus group discussions. Adaptive price expectations are proxied by a three-year, CPI-deflated moving average of local prices within a static, cross-sectional adaptation of the Nerlove framework; heteroskedasticity-robust (HC3) standard errors are used for inference, and an instrumental-variable approach addresses the endogeneity of credit access. Rice selling price is positively and significantly associated with the commercialization rate. Access to credit, farm size, market distance, farming experience, and road accessibility are positively associated with marketed quantity, while self-consumption objectives and formal sales contracts are negatively associated with it. Fertilizer price shows a strong negative association with marketed quantity, indicating acute sensitivity to input costs. A significant gender income gap is also observed (women: USD 85.86 vs. men: USD 143.26/month). The results point to fertilizer voucher schemes, targeted rural road investment, and gender-responsive credit as candidate policy levers for expanding marketed rice supply and strengthening food security in deficit-prone areas, pending further validation.

This study assessed the appropriation by Beninese farmers of major institutional reforms undertaken in 2016 to transform Benin's agriculture into a high-performing and resilient sector against exogenous shocks. Employing a descriptive approach and a logistic regression model applied to cross-sectional data collected from 1,501 farmers in 85 villages, the research examined the appropriation of the reforms of Territorialization of agricultural development and Agricultural sector governance. The findings reveal significant resignation among farmers due to insufficient consideration of their voices. Appropriation is influenced by socioeconomic factors such as literacy levels, diversification of agricultural activities, peer networks as a source of information, soybean cultivation (an alternative to cotton), access to agricultural services, understanding the importance of reforms, and the formulation process. Age influences the appropriation of Territorialization of agricultural development, while membership in a farmers' organization and cotton cultivation affect the appropriation of Agricultural sector governance. These results highlight the need for a strengthened participatory approach, supported by information sessions and community dialogues, to optimize reform adoption and enhance their impact on Benin's agricultural sector performance. This study offers crucial insights for agricultural policies in sub-Saharan Africa, where similar reforms are often implemented to bolster the resilience and performance of agricultural sectors.