Diversity of market gardening farms in western Burkina Faso. Nexus between production environment, farm size, financial performance and environmental issues

Abstract

This study characterizes market gardening in Houet province in order to determine the various categories of market gardening farms based on specific socioeconomic variables, as well as to analyze the main factors influencing their economic performance. Using principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical ascending classification, the main factors influencing the economic situation of the market garden farms in Houet were analyzed through the interrelationships between the variables considered. Findings revealed four clusters of vegetable farms with different socioeconomic features depending on the farming environment (urban, peri-urban and rural). In the same vein, the results showed that market gardeners in urban areas have the best economic performance. With the regard to the durability of the production, results showed that the majority of market gardeners (95%) have a conventional production method and often use in an uncontrolled way chemical pesticides, as well as mineral fertilizers that some combine with organic amendments.