Farmland management and community conflicts in the commune of Gogounou

Abstract

Sustainable land management is at the heart of Africa's development challenge. However, access to and control over natural resources is becoming the main source of conflict between rural producers, particularly farmers and agro-pastoralists. The aim of this study is to analyse farmland management and community conflicts in the commune of Gogounou. The methodological approach is based on data collection, processing (statistical processing; cartographic processing with ArcGIS) and analysis of the results using the SWOT model (Strengths, Weaknesses, Obstacles, Threats). A total of 128 producers were interviewed using an interview guide and a questionnaire. The results of this methodological approach show that the main method of acquiring agricultural land is inheritance (55.86%), which is used for farming (77%) and livestock rearing (23%). However, crop rotation (72.80%) is the most widely used farmland management technique. For 82% of farmers, boundary disputes are the most dominant issue, followed by family disputes (14%) and, lastly, litigation (5%). The main players involved in conflict management are the district chiefs, village delegates or chiefs, the town hall, the police station and the court. In order to deal with this situation, it is imperative that prospects be defined for better land management and real development of farming activities.