Case crops in the riverfront areas of the Pendjari biosphere reserve in northwestern Benin

Small-scale farming constitutes an important source of diverse food and employment in the Pendjari Biosphere Reserve. It also represents a source of monetary income for many producers in these specific areas. This research aims to study the production practices of these crops in village lands bordering the reserve.
The methodological approach is based on a literature review and field surveys conducted with 194 farmers, followed by data processing and analysis of the results. Data were collected using a questionnaire, an interview guide, and an observation grid. Data processing was carried out using Microsoft Word and Excel 2013 for descriptive statistics, and ArcGIS 10.7 for thematic mapping. A chi-square test was performed to analyze the results.
The results show that inheritance is the primary method of land acquisition, accounting for 92% of respondents, compared to 6% for gifts. Family labor is the most frequently used (100% of female and 97% of male producers). Conversely, hired labor (74% of men versus 58% of women) and mutual aid (67% of men versus 16% of women) are more commonly used by male farmers. Hoes, dabas, and machetes are used by almost all respondents (99%). Crop rotation is practiced by 84% of women and 66% of men. The most common cultivation technique is flat plowing (91%), followed by ridge plowing (73%) and hilling (34%). Finally, soil preparation is primarily carried out by slash-and-burn clearing (63%).