Project profile — Support for the Structuring of a Profitable, Fair and Sustainable Family Agriculture

• Benin (100.00%)

• Agricultural policy and administrative management:
Agricultural policy and administrative management (31110) (20.00%)
Agricultural development (31120) (30.00%)
• Industry: Agro-industries (32161) (20.00%)
• Other Multisector: Rural development (43040) (30.00%)

• Gender equality (significant objective)
• Environmental sustainability (cross-cutting) (significant objective)
• Participatory development and good governance (significant objective)
• Trade development (not targeted)
• Biodiversity (not targeted)
• Climate change mitigation (not targeted)
• Climate Change Adaptation (significant objective)
• Desertification (not targeted)
• Urban issues (not targeted)
• Children's issues (not targeted)
• Youth Issues (not targeted)
• Indigenous Issues (not targeted)
• Disability (not targeted)
• Nutrition (significant objective)
• ICT as a tool for development (not targeted)

The goal of this project is to increase income and improve food security (i.e. access to a sufficient quantity of good-quality food) for 165,000 small-scale farmers in the rural regions of Benin. In order to meet that goal, the project seeks to improve the farms’ production and profitability. The project also supports the creation of an environment that fosters investment and innovation, and the establishment of more inclusive practices that will help women become more empowered and help family farms adapt to the effects of climate change. Project activities include: (1) providing training, technical support, and funding for farm improvement projects; (2) training trainers and coaches from farming organizations so that they are better able to fulfil their role; and (3) providing training and support for community leaders, farming organizations, and the government in order to develop and implement structural improvements for family farms. The project supports the Benin Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries (MAEP), the Plate-forme nationale des organisations paysannes et des producteurs agricoles du Bénin (PNOPPA), the Groupement des exploitants agricoles du Bénin (GEA), and the Fédération des Unions de producteurs du Bénin (FUPRO).

The expected outcomes of this project include: (1) created an environment that fosters investment, innovation, and clean, inclusive economic growth for women in rural areas; and (2) increased sustainable production and profitability of the farming operations, particularly those run by women, as well as in the operations’ resilience to climate change.

Results achieved as of the end of the project (October 2022) include: (1) selected and financially supported 349 individual farm business improvement projects, including 179 led by women; (2) 1,228 rural community leaders, including 779 women, increased their capacity to advocate for equitable access by women to production factors and for dialogue between growers’ organizations and the state. This led to several advocacy actions; (3) developed and implemented nine new collective services within partner growers' organizations; and (4) developed and implemented, for the benefit of partner farmers' organizations, three strategies on key issues such as gender equality, climate change and financing.

• Proactive disclosure