PhD thesis: Proposals for improving agricultural practices in Benin

PhD student Barthélemy Honfoga from Benin has researched the causes of the inadequate distribution of artificial fertilizer in Benin, both for the trade crop cotton and the food crop corn. He conducted a thorough analysis of the artificial fertilizer market whereby he not only investigated prices and costs, but also the quality of the service provided by the dealers.

Artificial fertilizer is used to counteract the ground becoming exhausted and to secure the sustainable character of the agricultural industry. During the 1990s, structural change programmes were introduced in Benin. The expectation was that the gradual privatization and liberalization of the market that was running parallel would have a beneficial effect on the supply and distribution of artificial fertilizer. This is not what has happened. Between 1999 and 2005, the amount of artificial fertilizer used in Benin has decreased from 113,000 to 50,000 tons, one of the main reasons being that some farmers no longer want to grow cotton.

Honfoga has also shown that there is as yet no sign of a true liberalization. The influence of hybrid semi-state enterprises and of price agreements that are anything but transparent are behind the fact that farmers have to pay far too much for artificial fertilizer. He has made a number of recommendations for a true liberalization of the market: one is to point out the importance of sweeping institutional reforms to the ‘cotton chain’, another is to train the dealers.

Honfonga is the second researcher from the West African nation of Benin to be awarded a PhD by the University of Groningen. His research is the result of a long-term research cooperation agreement in the field of food safety between the Centre for Development Studies of the University of Groningen and institutes in West Africa.

Curriculum vitae

Barthélemy Honfoga (Benin, 1961) studied Agricultural Economics at the Université Nationale du Bénin. He then spent years being involved in managing the Dutch-financed international research programme on food safety in West Africa, the SADAOC. Honfega was awarded a grant by the RUG Fellowship Programme for his PhD research in Groningen. His extensive fieldwork in Benin was supported by a grant from the prestigious International Foundation for Science in Sweden. He conducted his research as a research fellow of the Université Abomey-Calavi in Benin. He will be awarded his PhD in economics and business on October 15^th (1.15 pm). His supervisor is prof.dr. C. Schweigman and the title of his thesis: Vers des systèmes privés efficaces d'approvisionnement et de distribution d'engrais pour une intensification agricole durable au Bénin.

Information: Centre for Development Studies, 050-363 7224, cds@rug.nl