AVAILABILITY OF AGRICULTURAL LAND IN THE CONTEXT OF AGRO-ECOLOGY IN THE LOWER OUEME VALLEY (SOUTH BENIN)

Abstract

Benin, agriculture is the main activity and provides food coverage for the majority of its population. This research analyzes the availability of agricultural land in the context of agro -ecology in the lower Ouémé valley. The data used relate to climatic and soil data, socio-economic information and demographic data. Field investigations are carried out based on the determination of sampling. In total, 260 people were interviewed as part of this research . These data were processed using SPSS IBM version 21 software. The analysis of the results was carried out using the SWOT model. The results showed that the availability of agricultural land in the BVO is another reality to which agro -ecological faces. The mode of access to land which presents more difficulty is the mode of access by inheritance (89.58%). Indeed, the other methods of access to land which present difficulties in the study area are borrowing (18.89%), rental (9.45%), donation (9.12%). and usufruct (0.98%) according to the population surveyed. For 42.35% and 49.84% of those questioned, the land in the Lower Ouémé Valley is very fertile. Several agro-ecological practices are listed in the BVO including the agro-ecological experiments on the Sain farm school of Pascal Gbenou in Kode ( Adjohoun ), the experiments on the farm Zanou. The limits of agroecological tourism in the BVO were also discussed.