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Land Rights, Gender and Soil Fertility in Benin

2021-05-12

The impact of declining soil fertility on the poverty situation and food security of smallholder farmers is often underestimated. One third of the world's arable land is already degraded, affecting around 180 million people in the sub-Saharan Africa region alone. The West African country of Benin, with heavily depleted soils in many places, is no exception.

Bei Treffen mit der Dorfgemeinschaft wird die Bodenproblematik offen diskutiert. (c) Karin Gaesing

Dr. Karin Gaesing

Dr. rer. pol. Karin Gaesing, geographer and spatial planner, is a researcher at INEF, University of Duisburg-Essen. She has many years of experience in development cooperation, including for GTZ in Ethiopia and Côte d'Ivoire, and as a freelance consultant in Africa and India. She is an expert in regional planning, gender, participation and land use planning.

Prof. Dr. Frank Bliss

Dr. phil. Frank Bliss is Professor for development anthropology at the University of Hamburg and senior research fellow and lecturer at the University of Duisburg-Essen (INEF). He did research in Egypt, Maghrib, Sudan, in Central Asia and several other countries. As a consultant, he mainly worked in the water sector and in projects related to the implementation of social safeguards of infrastructure as well as in policy advice.

Especially in densely populated areas, land pressure leads to overexploitation of available land, as the necessity of meeting subsistence needs makes it difficult to implement conservation measures. This lack of soil conservation measures and low inputs of nutrients in the form of organic or chemical fertilisers exacerbate the problem. Broad-based support and advisory services, especially in smallholder agriculture, are necessary to restore severely degraded soils. Through public and donor-supported measures, farmers can be enabled to make a decisive contribution to the preservation of the local ecosystem, but above all to increasing their own production. Secure land rights, and particularly rights of use within households, play a role crucial in this context. Women cultivate their fields primarily for subsistence production, but are too rarely included in advisory measures. This creates a developmental imbalance with far-reaching effects on the poverty and food situation of families.

Formalising Land Rights

In Benin, according to traditional understanding, farmland belongs to the family of the first settler-, who cleared it generations ago. The eldest of the (male) descendants of this family, or today of the entire clan that emerged from it, is responsible as chef de terre (also known locally in French as roi or king) for the allocation to other users. Until two to three generations ago, the preservation of the rights of use was dependent on the actual cultivation of the land. If this did not happen, the land reverted to the chef de terre, who could pass it on to third parties.

Anyone who needed land came to the chef de terre and requested - usually in the context of a small ceremony involving an offering of kola nuts to the chef and a consultation of the ancestors by the chef - a piece of arable land or bush land appropriate to his needs for cultivation. As long as free land was at hand, this land was made available, more or less compulsorily to clan members, but also voluntarily to third petitioners. Initially, the allocation of land was only understood as the granting of a temporary right of use to an individual, but in the 20th century this right of use became heritable and finally a holder of the right could even pass it on (as don, French in the sense of gift). However, he could not sell the land, as it still did not legally belong to the holder of the right of use. Formally, all land in a village still "belonged" to the chef de terre, who administered it on behalf of the ancestors as the ultimate owners.

The traditional land law in Benin is currently being replaced by 'modern' legislation that aims to transform the partially inherited rights to land use into registered property titles. On the one hand, the reason given for the change is to create more legal certainty and thus minimise disputes over land use rights. On the other hand, it is obvious that previously non-tradable land use rights should then become tradable as land ownership rights. The reason given for this, especially by development cooperation (DC) organisations, is the opportunity to mobilise significantly more loans for agricultural production in view of the fact that banks can lend on land titles.

As a hidden agenda, it can of course be assumed that the "reform" in Benin is intended to promote and legalise land grabbing by members of the political elite, as can be observed elsewhere. Examples from the neighbouring country of Burkina Faso show that when land becomes tradable, small owners (can) take out fewer loans for investments and are instead deprived of their property by speculators in a very short time. Here, many families in the outskirts of the capital Ouagadougou sold their land titles immediately after receiving them. After a very short time, the seemingly "huge" income was completely spent, causing the families to irretrievably lose their economic livelihood. Similar negative consequences of formalised land titles can be observed in India and Cambodia.

However, the new legislation in Benin is not, at least in theory, a complete conversion of communal or traditional land rights into individual titles, with millions of hectares of "tribal trust lands" being taken away from collectives and redistributed to investors, as in Zambia. Rather, it is the formalisation of a permanent (i.e. also inheritable) land claim that has been customary for at least two generations in favour of the farmers using the land. At least in the villages of northern Benin, which were investigated during a project study by the Institute for Development and Peace (INEF) of the University of Duisburg-Essen, land grabbing comparable to the situation in Zambia has not been reported. Here, traditional titles are currently being transferred one-to-one into property titles without any loss of land.

The harvested stalks are left in the field to add nutrients to the soil . (c) Karin Gaesing

Land Rights and Gender in Benin

Traditionally, only very few ethnic groups in Benin allow women to have any land use rights at all, which are separated from the rights of their husbands, brothers or fathers as an independent right of use. Claims of this kind are found, for example, in the region around Bohicon-Abomey, where exactly three of 20 women interviewed in the INEF study had such a right. They had inherited their land mostly from their fathers or from their mother, but also had, additionally, bought their land, which, strictly speaking, can hardly be considered legal before the current title registration.

Unlike the situation in Ethiopia or Cambodia, for example, the current land title registration process does not take gender into account. Since almost exclusively inherited (héritage) or, to a lesser extent, donated (don) land is recorded on the basis of the current owners and registered in their names, the registration leads to a cementing of patriarchal land ownership structures.

With regard to the fields given to women for use upon marriage, the different ethnic groups in Benin proceed differently. For example, the INEF research team in northern Benin learned that among the Peulh (Fulbé), women are allowed to keep these fields for life, even in the event of the husband's death or divorce. However, among the Bariba living in the same area, the woman is deprived of the field in both these cases. The husband can also claim the field for himself at any time for other reasons.

This state of affairs has considerable consequences for all agricultural DC measures that are geared towards water and soil conservation measures and / or promote productivity by advising on cultivation techniques or promoting the provision of inputs such as improved seeds and fertilisers. These DC contributions can easily double yields and also improve the quality of the soil, thus securing the additional yield in the long term. This developmental success is verifiable. However, a cynical testimony of the effects, i.e. the visible successes of the investment in the land, is the repeatedly observed fact that men have taken the fields back from their wives, who had worked the land, thus raising its value and repeatedly switched these for marginal yield sites. Over time, this problem was countered by raising it as a topic at group meetings and discussing it intensively. The result is that in many villages today, there is hardly a man who ever dares to take land away from his wife again for fear of opening himself to ridicule as the village egoist.

Women restore soil fertility with the legume Mucuna. (c) GIZ/ProSol

Gender Aspects in International Cooperation Measures

These examples of land use rights within households in Benin makes clear that the inclusion of women in agricultural extension services is fundamental for sustaining the success of the measures, but would also have to be linked to land titling. The fact that women bring profits and returns from their activities almost entirely into the household is by now well known. For Benin, as for other countries in sub-Saharan Africa, this effect is amplified by the fact that the proportion of women in agricultural work is estimated at 70% (FAO).

The improvement of soil fertility can be decisively advanced through targeted and adapted extension measures. While in extensive agriculture e.g. field rotation and thus sufficient fallow can achieve desired effects, crop technology knowledge is necessary if the land is used intensively. The INEF study of a GIZ project on soil improvement in northern Benin was able to document considerable increases in production through the application of soil improvement measures. The measures applied included conservation agriculture techniques, e.g. mulching, and erosion control measures through the construction of stone walls, agroforestry techniques and improved pasture management among livestock farmers. The targeted inclusion of women in the advisory services was of central importance in the monitored project, an approach that is by no means the norm internationally.

The strengthening of women's rights is said to have enormous economic potential. The expanded inclusion of women in the national economy, and especially in market-oriented agriculture, has great potential to increase the economic balance. The positive relationship between gender equality, growth and poverty reduction must therefore be incorporated more effectively into development policy measures. In addition, the effects on other household members, especially the nutritional, health and educational situation of children, improves through better education and improved access to resources for women, thereby contributing to a large number of the Sustainable Development Goals adopted in 2015.

As early as the 1970s, Ester Boserup described the gender problem in agriculture, which Diane Elson later described as ‚male bias‘. The role of women as independent producers, for Benin especially in the cultivation of staple foods, has been underestimated. The reasons for this lie in extension services often dominated by male staff, the primary targeting of men in these services in their role as "the farmers" and as heads of households, and in dynamics within the households themselves. For example, women are often unable to attend extension meetings because of their extremely heavy workloads. This leads to a super-majority of public and private extension services allocated to men, thereby preventing women from accessing targeted measures aimed specifically at them. Coupled with patriarchal land titling, the economic potentials described above can as a result, only be tapped to a very limited extent.

Literature

AfDB. African Development Bank (2018): West Africa Economic Outlook 2018. AfDB. & World Economic Forum (2020): Global Gender Gap Report 2020. WEF.
Bliss, Frank: Zum Beispiel Soja. Eine erfolgreiche Wertschöpfungskette im westafrikanischen Benin. AVE-Studie 14/2019. INEF.
Boserup, E (1970): Woman's role in economic development. St. Martin's Press.
Elson, D. (Ed.). (1991): Male bias in the development process. Manchester University Press.
Gaesing, Karin und Bliss, Frank (2019): Entwicklung, Landrecht, Gender und Bodenfruchtbarkeit in Benin. AVE-Studie 17/2019. INEF.
Glatzel, K., Conway, G., Alpert, E., & Brittain, S. (2016). No ordinary matter: Conserving, restoring and enhancing Africa’s soils. A Montpellier panel report. Montpellier Panel.
IFPRI (International Food Policy Research Institute) 2005: Women: Still the Key to Food and Nutrition Security. Report 33. IFPRI.
World Bank (2010): Gender and Governance in Rural Services. The World Bank.

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The human finca

Interview with Marvin Antonio Garcia Otero

In Eastern El Salvador, campesinos are cultivating a self-image to encourage rural youth to remain in rural areas. With help from Caritas, they have adjusted the cultivation methods to their soils and traditions - Marvin Antonio Garcia Otero,the deputy director of Caritas of the Diocese of San Miguel believes this is the best way to prevent rural exodus and criminality.

“Healthy ground brings good and many fruits”

Interview with Ben Sekamatte and Boaz Ogola

Africa's cotton production plays a key role in the fight against poverty. The "Cotton Made in Africa" initiative promotes sustainable cultivation - one element of which is the use of organic pesticides. Entomologist Ben Sekamatte and cotton company manager Boaz Ogola talked with Jan Rübel about soil and yields.

A classroom in the Garden of Eden

By Iris Manner

Deforestation harms people and the environment. With nurseries, farmers can earn money and do good. You just have to know how to do it

How much private investment is the agricultural sector able to bear?

By Pedro Morazán

Small farmers in developing countries must modernise their farming methods, but poorly understood reforms could exacerbate poverty instead of alleviating it.

No dirty dealing

Von Marlis Lindecke

Shit Business is Serious Business: A successful cooperation between research and the private sector.

„You must be multisectoral in your thinking”

Interview with Adriano Campolina (FAO)

For years, place-based approaches to development have been considered important features in development cooperation, at the BMZ and in FAO. Both organisations are aiming at advancing these approaches: an interview with Adriano Campolina from the FAO on territorial and landscape perspectives.

Support for sustainable start-ups

Companies in Africa that need financing between $20,000 and $200,000 find relatively few investors, as this sector is too large for microcredit and too small for institutional investors. This creates a "gap in the middle" where companies have limited options. A project of the World Resource Institute provides a remedy with the Landaccelerator 2020.

A World Resources Institute project

Mr. Samimi, what is environmental change doing to Africa?

Interview with Cyrus Samimi (IAS)

Environmental change is having a particularly strong impact on the African continent. Its landscapes see both negative and positive processes. What is science's view of this? A conversation with Cyrus Samimi about mobility for livelihoods, urban gardening and dealing with nature.

COST-BENEFIT ANALYSES FOR MORE SOIL CONSERVATION

With the help of sustainable farming methods, soils can be preserved and made fertile again. The investment required is also worthwhile from a financial perspective.

A project of GIZ

Revolutionising Humanitarian Aid

A contribution by Ralf Südhoff

Financial innovations can prevent a crisis turning into a catastrophe. The livelihoods of people in affected areas may well depend on intervention before a crisis – and on risk funds.

Pesticides – a blessing or a curse?

A debate between Lena Luig and Ludger Weß

What are the consequences of using synthetic pesticides in agriculture? Where do they help, where do they harm? Lena Luig, expert for the development policy organization INKOTA, and science journalist Ludger Weß discuss this controversial topic of international scope.

One Health – What we are learning from the Corona crisis

A contribution by Dr. May Hokan and Dr. Arnulf Köhncke (WWF)

Due to the coronavirus crisis, the connection between human and animal health has gained new attention. Politicians and scientists are joining forces to propagate the solution: One Health. But what is behind the concept? And can it also guarantee food security for all people worldwide?

"The Green Revolution reaches its limits"

Interview with Stig Tanzmann (BfdW)

Stig Tanzmann is a farmer and adviser on agricultural issues at ‘Bread for the World’. Jan Rübel interviewed him about his reservations about AGRA's strategy.

The 'Grey Gold'

A contribution by Maria Schmidt (GIZ)

The Cashew Council is the first international organisation for a raw material stemming from Africa. The industry promises to make progress in processing and refining cashew nuts - and answers to climate change

From Berlin to Yen Bai: 10,000 trees for Vietnam

A contribution by GIZ and BMZ

It began with clicks at a trade fair and ends with concrete reforestation: a campaign at the Green Week in Berlin is now enriching the forests of the Yen Bai Province in Vietnam. A chronicle of an education about climatic relevance to concrete action - and about the short distances on our planet.

Quinoa could have a huge potential in Central Asia, where the Aral Sea Basin has been especially hard-hit by salinisation.

Planetary Health: Recommendations for a Post-Pandemic World

A contribution by Dr. Kathleen Mar and Dr. Nicole de Paula

Against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, health is receiving unprecedented public and political attention. Yet the fact that climate change is also affecting the environmental and social determinants of health in a profound and far-reaching way deserves further recognition.

No rainforest for our consumption

A contribution by Jenny Walther-Thoß (WWF)

In the tropics rainforests are still being felled for the production of palm oil, meat and furniture. It is high time to act. Proposals are on the table.

Biodiversity and agriculture – rivalry or a new friendship?

A contribution by Irene Hoffmann (FAO)

In this article, the author describes what we know about interlinkages, what role agriculture has to play in the sustainable use and conservation of biodiversity, and what the necessary changes in agricultural systems might look like, both on small and large-scale farms.

The fight against illegal fishing

A Report

The oceans are important for our food supply, but they are overfished. To halt this trend the global community is now taking action against illegal fishing. Journalist Jan Rübel spoke with Francesco Marí, a specialist for world food, agricultural trade and maritime policy at "Brot für die Welt," and others.

Policy against disasters

Interview with Thomas Loster

Insurance companies could provide protection during droughts in Africa. How exactly this could be done is what the industry is currently trying to figure out. First experiences are available. An interview with the Managing Director of the Munich Re Foundation, Thomas Loster

Is the international community still on track in the fight against hunger?

Interview with Miriam Wiemers (Welthungerhilfe)

The Global Hunger Index (GHI) 2020 shows that the world is not on track to meet the international goal of “zero hunger by 2030”. If we continue at our current speed, around 37 countries will not even have reached a low hunger level by 2030.

School Feeding: A unique platform to address gender inequalities

A contribution by Carmen Burbano de Lara (WFP)

Besides the well known impacts of Covid19 lockdowns for the adult population, the associated school closures led to 90 percent of the world’s children with no access to schools. However, school meals are in often the only daily meal for children. Without access to this safety net, issues like hunger, poverty and malnutrition are exacerbated for hundreds of millions of children.

Not waiting for a savior

An article by Lidet Tadesse

While Africa is the least affected region by Covid-19 so far, the number of confirmed cases and deaths on the continent is quickly rising. Despite the challenges many African countries continue to face, the African response to the coronavirus pandemic displays innovation and ingenuity.

Good health is impossible without healthy food

A contribution by Heino von Meyer

Corona makes it even more difficult to achieve a world without hunger by 2030. So that this perspective does not get out of sight, Germany must play a stronger role internationally - a summary of the Strategic Advisory Group of SEWOH.

Ms Rudloff, what are the benefits of a supply chain law?

By Jan Rübel

The Federal Government is fine-tuning a law that would require companies to ensure human rights – a supply chain law. What are the consequences for the agricultural sector? Dr Bettina Rudloff from the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP) discusses linking policy fields with added value.

Freed from trade? Towards a fairer EU Trade Agenda

A contribution by Dr. Jan Orbie (University Gent)

‘Fair’ and ‘sustainable’ are key words in Germany’s EU Council Presidency. At the same time, Germany pursues ‘modernization’ of the WTO and ‘rapid progress’ on free trade agreements. Are these goals really compatible? Can we be concerned about fairness and sustainability while continuing with ‘business as usual’?

Can we win the race against deforestation?

Interview with Bernadette Arakwiye und Salima Mahamoudou (World Resources Institute)

Deforestation is leading to a shortage of ressources. What are the options for counteracting? A conversation with Bernadette Arakwiye and Salima Mahamoudou about renaturation and the possibilities of artificial intelligence.

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Land Rights, Gender and Soil Fertility in Benin

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