Strengthening gender inclusion in agricultural research for more conclusive results in West Africa

 

In recent years, agroforestry technologies have emerged as promising alternative measures for addressing major environmental crises. However, their use in Africa remains below anticipated levels. Therefore, this systematic review aims to investigate the underlying reasons for the low adoption and limited use of such technologies in Africa. Employing the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-analyses protocol (PRISMA), we conducted a comprehensive search for relevant scientific papers in databases such as Google Scholar, Scopus and Web of Science. A total of 351 articles were initially identified. Following the predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria, 36 articles were selected from which data were manually extracted for inclusion in this review. Descriptive statistics were employed to assess the farmers’ perceptions of agroforestry technologies and the constraints they face when adopting them. Several constraints were identified, and the top five constraints were pests, problems of land access, lack of knowledge and skills, lack of capital and lack of seeds. To maximise the adoption of agroforestry technologies in Africa, it is imperative to introduce the technologies by considering the local context, the specific needs of farmers and the existing socio-economic dynamics. Such initiatives must include robust training and education programmes, accessible financing solutions, appropriate land tenure reforms and effective support mechanisms for access to seed and pest management. These factors could considerably improve the adoption and effectiveness of agroforestry technologies in Africa, thereby contributing to more sustainable and resilient agricultural practices.

In West Africa, and Benin particularly, local forest resources can potentially contribute to both increasing and stabilizing soil productivity. However, these resources continue to be neglected with efforts instead concentrated on promoting exotic species. This study aimed to prioritize local agroforestry species on agricultural landscape by investigating the gendered, socio-demographic and agro-pedological factors of local knowledge and use of agroforestry species amongst small-holder farmers in Benin. An agroforestry inventory combined with an ethno-agroforestry survey was conducted on 364 farms with 364 farmers. A cluster analysis based on farmers’ socio-demographic and agroecological factors was used to cluster farmers into two homogeneous agroforestry systems. Median score, species diversity and ecological networks were established for these two systems. Results illustrate that gendered difference exist between the priority that farmers give to multipurpose species and this prioritization depends on priority ecosystem services for farmers and gender. Therefore, it would be useful first to consider gender and specific needs of each category of farmer to optimize the choice of agroforestry species to be promoted in such systems. The successful introduction of identified species through extension programs requires more advanced research related to the real contribution of these species to farmland fertilization, as well as the nutrient transmission pathways to associated crops in an agroforestry system to address simultaneously specific ecological, economic and socio-cultural sustainability criteria, as well as improved crop production.