Cattle breeding is of great socio-economic importance for Benin's cattle farmers in general and those of North Benin in particular. The objective of this study is to inventory the natural products of medicinal plants of the Beninese pharmacopoeia for the management of trypanosomes in cattle in North Benin. The methodology consisted of individual and semi-structured interviews with cattle farmers on the use of medicinal plants. A total of 360 cattle farmers were selected and interviewed in twelve villages in four municipalities (Tchaourou, N'dali, Bembèrèkè and Gogounou) in northern Benin. Different quantitative ethnobotanical indices were calculated to determine the level of use of plant species. The Relative Frequency of Citation (RFC), the Informant Consensus Factor (ICF = 0.918) and the Generic Coefficient (Rg = 1.04) were evaluated. The knowledge of medicinal plants was influenced by the level of education and the main activity of those who practiced animal husbandry. The results yielded 48 medicinal plants for veterinary use belonging to 46 genera and 28 families. The Leguminosae family (12.50%) was the most represented. The most cited plants with a RFC above 10% were K. senegalensis, P. africana, K. africana, M. inermis, S. latifolius, M. polyandra. The parts used were leaves (46.15%); barks (24.62%) and roots (15.38%). Decoction (53.23%), plundering (32.26%) and maceration (11.26%) were the main methods of preparation. The administration was mainly by oral route. The calculated indices show a high diversity of medicinal plants with trypanocidal properties in the control of cattle trypanosomosis in the Sudanese and Sudano-Guinean zones of northern Benin. Plant species with high citation and RFC values should be selected for comprehensive pharmacological and phytochemical research to validate this ethnomedical knowledge in the management of cattle trypanosomosis.
Conflicts between farmers and herders are a persistent challenge in Sudanian and Sudano-Guinean zones of Benin, largely driven by competition over access to pastoral resources. This study aimed to characterize the prevalence, causes, and typology of such conflicts and to assess their implications for the sedentarization of cattle farming systems. Data were collected from 480 livestock farms across four municipalities (Materi and Gogounou in the Sudanian zone; Tchaourou and Djougou in the Sudano-Guinean zone) through surveys, mapping, and herd productivity assessments. Multiple Correspondence Factorial Analysis was used to classify the conflict types. The results revealed that 52.29% of herders had experienced conflicts, with a higher incidence in the Sudano-Guinean zone (36.88%). Four main categories of conflict were identified: (i) blows and injuries to people and animals (38.64%), (ii) displacement of herders and their farms (34.26%), (iii) property damage and animal slaughter (15.13%), and (iv) violent verbal altercations and animal poisoning (11.97%). These findings indicate that recurrent conflicts are accelerating the shift from transhumance towards sedentarization, underscoring the need for tailored conflict management strategies and sustainable livestock policies.
20 November 2025 in Veterinary Parasitology: Regional Studies and Reports