Synsepalum dulcificum (Schumach. & Thonn. Daniell) est un arbuste originaire de l’Afrique de l’Ouest, inscrit sur la liste des espèces vulnérables de l’UICN. Au Bénin, son importance pour les popu- lations locales reste peu documentée. L’étude avait pour objectif d’évaluer les connaissances endogènes, la valeur d’usage et l’importance économique de l’espèce pour les populations locales. Des enquêtes ethnobotaniques et éco- nomiques ont été conduites auprès de 606 personnes réparties dans 13 groupes socioculturels du Sud-Bénin. Des para- mètres ethnobotaniques (fréquence de citation, valeur d’usage ethnobotanique) et économique (revenu moyen réalisé) ont été calculés, et leur significativité éprou- vée par l’ajustement de modèles linéaires généralisés et le test de Kruskal et Wallis. Les résultats ont montré que S. dulcificum était bien connu des populations locales du Sud-Bénin (100 % des enquêtés), qui le cultivaient notamment dans les jardins de case. Toutes les parties de la plante étaient utilisées à des fins médicinales, alimentaires et spirituelles. Les connais- sances et la valeur d’usage de la plante variaient entre les groupes socioculturels du Sud-Bénin, avec un gradient décrois- sant Est-Ouest. Les connaissances et la valeur d’usage variaient suivant le sexe, l’âge et le domaine d’activité, les connais- sances étant concentrées au niveau des hommes, des adultes et personnes âgées, et des praticiens de la médecine tradition- nelle. L’évaluation économique a révélé un circuit de commercialisation relativement court. Le faible revenu moyen réalisé sur la vente des fruits (environ 28 USD par an et par commerçant) illustre la faible valeur économique de l’espèce qui constitue une ressource de subsistance en déclin. La conservation et la valorisation optimale de l’espèce nécessiteront des investigations sur les plans nutritionnel, phytochimique et pharmaceutique, phénologique, mor- phologique et génétique, le développe- ment d’une sylviculture, l’intégration de la plante dans les politiques formelles de conservation, et enfin le développement d’une chaîne de valeurs à travers la mise en place d’une véritable filière.

Mangroves are brackish wetland ecosystems found in tropical areas. They are highly productive ecosystems that contribute to the economic empowerment of local communities. Proper estimation of their monetary value and the extent of their contribution to rural households’ income, although challenging, is paramount for sustainable management decisions. This study aimed to estimate the total economic wealth earned from mangrove ecosystems in Benin. Specifically, the study assessed the diversity of ecosystem services (ESs) provided by mangroves and the contribution of ESs to the total annual economic value of mangroves, and it identified socio-demographic drivers of the total economic value at the individual informant level. In total, 298 informants from 15 villages were interviewed to determine the diversity of mangrove ESs. The ESs were then gathered per category. Household-level economic values of mangroves, economic values of mangroves per ES category, and total economic value were estimated by combining diverse approaches. The contribution of each category of ES to the total economic value (TEV) was determined. A Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was applied to describe the relationships between the economic value of categories of ESs. A Linear Mixed Effect Model (LMEM) was used to determine valid socio-demographic drivers of the TEV. Twenty-nine ESs were identified, with regulation and recreation services being the best contributors to annual TEV, which was estimated at USD 1.29 billion (USD 195,223.69/hectare). Stakeholdership followed by household size are the main socio-demographic drivers of TEV. The identified ESs and their estimated economic value can be incorporated into policy briefs and technical sheets to (i) promote ESs for the optimisation of TEV and (ii) raise awareness and funding for the conservation and sustainable management of mangrove ecosystems.

Climate disruption today represents a threat to the environment and sustainable development. Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) is an appropriate adaptation approach to climate change. It allows producers to improve their production and act on their food security, despite the conditions of climate change while limiting the causes arising from agriculture. The objective of this study is to evaluate the impact of CSA, through the use of harvest residues in cassava fields, on the income and food security of cassava producing households in Savalou. The three-stage sampling method made it possible to draw a random sample of 360 cassava producers including 180 users of pigeon pea, mucuna and peanut harvest residues. The average income from cassava production during the last 12 months (until July 2023) is 366,400 FCFA with 387,340 FCFA for beneficiaries compared to 322,060 FCFA for non-beneficiaries. The impact analysis was done with the matching method based on propensity scores. The results of this impact study showed that this adoption contributes to improving income from cassava production by 35,135 FCFA and household food security by 0.10 points, on average per household per year. It would therefore be useful to promote and improve this type of agriculture, in order to ensure sustainable development of the agricultural sector and improve food security.

This study aims to assess the effects of risk management tools on the agricultural performance of rural producers benefiting from the joint support of the Senegalese state and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) through the co-financed project PADAER. Data collection covers two regions in Senegal: Kolda and Tambacounda. The sample comprises 1167 farmers, including 379 beneficiaries of the index-based insurance facilitated by PADAER (Programme d’Appui au Développement Agricole et à l’Entreprenariat Rural). The quasi-experimental method known as the propensity score matching method was used to determine the impact of subscribing to index-based insurance on the farmer’s production, agricultural investments, and annual income. Although the results of the estimates show that the project has not yet had any effect on production, without the intervention of this project, farmers would have recorded a loss of about USD 115 (FCFA 57,600). Not only did the index-based insurance for the harvest facilitated by the PADAER allow the beneficiary to cover this loss and realize a gain estimated at USD 25 (FCFA 12,749), but the added value of this paper is that it measures the effects of agricultural index-based insurance in Africa using real-world statistical data.