International cooperation in support of Benin’s circular economy transition: Partnerships, financing and limitations

This article critically examines how international cooperation supports Benin’s transition towards a circular economy, with a particular focus on partnerships, funding mechanisms, and institutional, strategic, and operational constraints. Drawing on a qualitative research design combining literature review, project and policy document analysis, semi-structured interviews, and comparative case studies, the paper shows that international cooperation has helped mainstream circular economy ideas, produce strategic frameworks (including the National Circular Economy Action Plan), and stimulate local experimentation especially in the solid waste sector. However, these contributions remain limited by fragmented interventions, short project cycles, weak cross-sector coordination, and sustained dependence on external funding, which collectively undermine long-term institutionalization and territorial anchoring. The transfer of standardized models with insufficient contextual adaptation, alongside the persistent marginalization of informal waste actors, further constrains scalability and inclusiveness. The article argues for a shift from a project-based approach to a systemic and place-based cooperation model that prioritizes co-design with local stakeholders, recognition and integration of informal actors, long-term financing instruments, and learning-oriented monitoring and evaluation, as conditions for a genuinely transformative circular transition in Benin.