Innovation Processes for Managing Soil Fertility and Pests in Organic Cotton Production in Benin

This research used the Agricultural Innovation Systems (AIS) framework to analyse the innovation processes for soil fertility and pests management in organic cotton production in Benin. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected with 610 farmers selected through stratified random sampling, eight farmers’ organizations leaders, twenty organic cotton promoters, four input suppliers, and four agricultural extension agents. Descriptive statistics and content analysis were used for data analysis. Findings showed that about 47% of the innovations were adopted on a large scale. The innovation processes analysis showed that innovations that achieved large-scale adoption were developed using a co-construction approach that involved a wide range of stakeholders, including farmers. These technological, organizational and institutional innovations were constraint-specific and benefited from continuous technical support from agricultural development and extension services. The dynamic in interactions among stakeholders enables farmers to engage in a continuous learning process integrating endogenous and exogenous knowledge. The research confirms that the use of a co-construction approach in innovation process is important to trigger a sustainable production and use of agricultural innovations relevant to respond to ecological integrity challenges in Sub-Saharan Africa.