Abstract
The research presented in this paper stems from a collaboration between researchers in the Benin Republic, Nigeria and Canada who are examining the opportunities to enhance the sustainable production of under-utilized indigenous vegetables through the micro-dosage of synthetic fertilizer. Because micro-dosing is a labour intensive technology, and is time sensitive in application, we sought to better understand how the availability of labour, as affected by changes in cooperative networks, might affect adoption and scaling up opportunities. The systems of cooperative labour described in this paper reflect the culture and traditions of the Betammaribe people, residing in the village of Koumagou B in northwest Benin. Our results indicate that cooperative labour systems among the Betammaribe are in transition and are being influenced by seasonal migration, the financial demands of formal education, the use of oxen by those with relative wealth, and off-farm employment. These pressures have led to the atomizing of Koumagou B households and a concomitant decline in the availability of cooperative labour. Interventions designed to improve the livelihoods of smallholder farmers must not inadvertently perpetuate social and economic inequalities or disadvantage those most vulnerable. It is this possibility that warrants careful consideration as we contemplate the benefits of adopting and scaling-up new agricultural technologies in the future.
Highlights
The availability of agricultural labour has shown to be a critical factor for the adoption of new agricultural technologies and often serves as an operative constraint to farming systems in Africa (Larson & Gurara, 2013; Marenya & Barrett, 2007)
The research presented in this paper stems from a collaboration between researchers in the Benin Republic, Nigeria and Canada who are examining the opportunities to enhance the sustainable production of under-utilized indigenous vegetables through the micro-dosage of synthetic fertilizer
The systems of cooperative labour described in this paper reflect the culture and traditions of the Betammaribe people, residing in the village of Koumagou B in northwest Benin
Summary
The availability of agricultural labour has shown to be a critical factor for the adoption of new agricultural technologies and often serves as an operative constraint to farming systems in Africa (Larson & Gurara, 2013; Marenya & Barrett, 2007). Cooperative labour systems ease labour shortages and relax the labour constraints that can impede the adoption and scaling up of new agricultural technologies (Kirinya, Taylor, Kyamanywa, Erbaugh & Bonabana-Wabbiet, 2013) Such systems exist among smallholder farmers throughout the world and have been described in detail for Sub-Saharan Africa, including south-western Ethiopia (Bartels, 1977), south-eastern Cameroon (Geschiere, 1995), eastern Uganda (Shiraishi, 2006), Zimbabwe (Worby, 1995), Nigeria (Stone, Netting & Stone, 1990), Tanzania (Ponte, 2000), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Suehara, 1983, 2006), and Sudan (Barth, 1967). It was this possibility that warranted careful consideration as we contemplated the risks and benefits of scaling-up new agricultural technologies
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