Characterization of silvopastoral and agrosilvopastoral cattle farms in Benin

Abstract

Herders in Benin have developed indigenous agrosilvopastoral and silvopastoral practices to reduce their vulnerability to climate change. As an agroforestry system, these practices are poorly understood in the context of climate change in Benin. Thus, the present aims to characterize the agrosilvopastoral and silvopastoral farms of two agroecological zones of Benin. To this end, a survey was conducted among 180 livestock keepers in the “zone cotonnière du nord et du centre du Bénin”. The data collected related to socio-demographic characteristics, the type of system set up by the livestock keepers (silvopastoral or agrosilvopastoral) and the area occupied by crops and trees/shrubs. Using Multiple Correspondence Factor Analysis (AFCM) methods, a typology of four (4) groups of livestock keepers was established. These are small agrosilvopastors (Group 1: PAS) made up of 35.5% of respondents, small silvopastors (Group 2: PSV) representing 4.4% of respondents, large silvopastors (Group 3: GSV), made up of 5% of the sample and finally the large agrosilvopastoralists (Group 4: GAS), made up of 55% of the respondents. This characterization constitutes a starting point for the evaluation of the productivity of each group as well as the potential of indigenous practices for mitigating the effects of climate change.

Keywords: Climate change, agroforestry, cattle, silvopastoralism, Benin