GENDER GAP IN ACQUISITION AND PRACTICE OF AGRICULTURAL KNOWLEDGE: CASE STUDY OF RICE FARMING IN WEST AFRICA

2016 ◽  
Vol 53 (4) ◽  
pp. 566-577 ◽  
Author(s):  
ESPÉRANCE ZOSSOU ◽  
AMINOU AROUNA ◽  
ALIOU DIAGNE ◽  
RITA AFIAVI AGBOH-NOAMESHIE
Keyword(s):  
West Africa ◽  
Gender Gap ◽  
Cote D'ivoire ◽  
Côte D’Ivoire ◽  
Rice Farming ◽  
Knowledge Sources ◽  
Cote D’Ivoire ◽  
Rice Farmers ◽  
Agricultural Knowledge ◽  
Côte D'ivoire

SUMMARYImproving farmers’ knowledge of new technologies and creating conducive learning opportunities, with particular attention to the marginalized poor (women and youth), are major factors in the move towards sustainable agriculture. To explore the gender gap in agricultural knowledge acquisition and adoption in West Africa, we used baseline data collected in 2013 and 2014 in five countries (Benin, Côte d'Ivoire, Niger, Nigeria and Togo) with 499 surveyed households. The t-test and Kruskal–Wallis test were used for analysis. The most quoted source for acquiring knowledge on rice farming methods was ‘other farmers’, showing the importance of social capital for rural African farmers. In Benin, a gender gap was noted in rice farmers’ access to agricultural knowledge sources, with women being more advantaged. In Côte d'Ivoire, Niger, Nigeria and Togo, no significant gender gap was observed in rice farmers’ access to agricultural knowledge sources. Regarding the level of knowledge and use of rice farming methods in Côte d'Ivoire and Niger, significant gender gaps were observed. The gender approach to rural development is having impact in West Africa with regard to farmers’ access to agricultural information. However, interactive rural learning approaches (such as farmer-to-farmer video) need to be resorted to make the technologies’ principles well known and improve the ability of marginalized poor to adopt and or innovate with local or limited resources. This study leads to a better understanding of the relationship between gender, knowledge and use of agricultural technologies in order to enhance marginalized farmers’ adoption of improved innovations.

scholarly journals Does Credit Influence Fertilizer Intensification in Rice Farming? Empirical Evidence from Côte D’Ivoire

Agronomy ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 1063
Author(s):  
N’Banan Ouattara ◽  
Xueping Xiong ◽  
Lacina Traoré ◽  
Calum G. Turvey ◽  
Ruiting Sun ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Empirical Evidence ◽  
Cote D'ivoire ◽  
Côte D’Ivoire ◽  
Rice Farming ◽  
Cote D’Ivoire ◽  
Agricultural Finance ◽  
Access To Credit ◽  
Explanatory Variables ◽  
Rice Farmers ◽  
Côte D'ivoire

In Côte d’Ivoire, the use of fertilizers in rice farming still remains low. Credit constraints have been frequently reported as the main reason hampering rice farmers from reversing this situation. However, there is no empirical evidence on the link between rice farmers’ access to credit (AC) and fertilizer intensification (FI). This article examines this issue by using a sample of 600 rice farmers randomly selected in seven rice areas. Data are analyzed by the IV-Probit and IV-Tobit models. The results reveal that FI and AC reciprocally influence each other, implying that they are endogenous. An increase of credit by XOF 100 could increase the quantity of fertilizer used by 2.70 kg, all other things being equal. Moreover, FI and AC are strongly influenced by some socio-economic, rice farm, and institutional factors. Policymakers should take actions to facilitate rice farmers’ access to credit and subsidized fertilizers. Other relevant explanatory variables should be considered in rice farming development policies. By providing empirical evidence of the link between rice farmers’ access to credit and fertilizer intensification in Côte d’Ivoire, this paper contributes to the agricultural finance literature.

scholarly journals Exploration targets in the Côte d'Ivoire-Ghana transform margin in Equatorial West Africa

2010 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
pp. 43-50 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liu Jianping ◽  
Pan Xiaohua ◽  
Ma Jun ◽  
Tian Zuoji ◽  
Wan Lunkun
Keyword(s):  
West Africa ◽  
Cote D'ivoire ◽  
Côte D’Ivoire ◽  
Cote D’Ivoire ◽  
Côte D'ivoire ◽  
Transform Margin

scholarly journals Tinea Capitis Caused by Microsporum audouninii: A Report of Two Cases from Côte D’Ivoire, West Africa

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 9
Author(s):  
Rie Roselyne Yotsu ◽  
Kouamé Kouadio ◽  
Aubin Yao ◽  
Bamba Vagamon ◽  
Motoi Takenaka ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
West Africa ◽  
Dna Sequencing ◽  
Cote D'ivoire ◽  
Tinea Capitis ◽  
Sampling Method ◽  
Côte D’Ivoire ◽  
Adhesive Tape ◽  
Cote D’Ivoire ◽  
Côte D'ivoire ◽  
Epidemiological Surveys

We report here two cases of tinea capitis caused by Microsporum (M.) audouinii in Côte d’Ivoire, West Africa. The patients were a three-year-old boy and a six-year-old girl who presented with scaly patches on the scalp. The causative fungus was isolated using an adhesive tape-sampling method and cultured on Sabouraud dextrose agar plates. It was identified as M. audouinii both by its macroscopic and microscopic features, confirmed by DNA sequencing. These are the first documented cases of M. audouinii infections confirmed with DNA sequencing to be reported from Côte d’Ivoire. The practicality of the tape-sampling method makes it possible to carry out epidemiological surveys evaluating the distribution of these dermatophytic infections in remote, resource-limited settings.

scholarly journals Marching across and beyond West Africa: First record of the stem-galling fly Cecidochares connexa (Diptera: Tephritidae) in Central Africa and the implications for biological control of Chromolaena odorata (Asteraceae)

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (6) ◽  
pp. e0252770
Author(s):  
Pascal O. Aigbedion-Atalor ◽  
Itohan Idemudia ◽  
Medetissi Adom ◽  
Ethelyn E. Forchibe ◽  
Hospice Tossou ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Biological Control ◽  
West Africa ◽  
Cote D'ivoire ◽  
Côte D’Ivoire ◽  
Biological Control Agent ◽  
Central Africa ◽  
Chromolaena Odorata ◽  
Cote D’Ivoire ◽  
Côte D'ivoire ◽  
Benin Republic

The Neotropical invasive plant Chromolaena odorata R.M. King and H. Robinson (Asteraceae) is a serious weed in West and Central Africa and two biological control agents that have been introduced into West Africa to help reduce its impacts on agriculture and biodiversity, have established. The stem-galling fly, Cecidochares connexa (Macquart) (Diptera: Tephritidae), has spread widely across West Africa since its release in only Côte d’Ivoire, occurring in six countries. This study aimed to investigate whether the gall fly had spread further across West Africa and into Central Africa. Here, we surveyed C. odorata for C. connexa galls in Cameroon between October 2018 and October 2020, along roadsides, on farms, residential areas, and abandoned plots, encompassing various vegetation types. Additional surveys were conducted across four countries (Ghana, Togo, Benin Republic and Nigeria) in West Africa that we considered the probable pathway for the spread of the gall fly into Central Africa. Cecidochares connexa was present at five of the six locations surveyed in Cameroon, albeit in varying abundance. In Africa, these findings represent the first-ever report of C. connexa outside of West Africa. In West Africa, we recorded significant expansion in the geographic range of C. connexa, as reflected in the absent-present record of C. connexa in two locations in Nigeria and one in Ghana, as well as its occurrence in all locations surveyed in Benin Republic and Togo. Clearly, Ghana, Togo, Benin Republic and Nigeria served as the dispersal pathway of C. connexa from the release sites in Côte d’Ivoire into Cameroon, covering over 2,300 km. Following the spread and establishment of C. connexa into Cameroon, we anticipate that it will continue to spread further into other parts of Central Africa which are climatically suitable. Cecidochares connexa is currently the only biological control agent for C. odorata in Central Africa. Given that it has significantly reduced populations of C. odorata in other countries where it has established, it is expected to have a similar impact in Central Africa.

scholarly journals Anthropogenic VOC in Abidjan, southern West Africa: from source quantification to atmospheric impacts

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pamela Dominutti ◽  
Sekou Keita ◽  
Julien Bahino ◽  
Aurélie Colomb ◽  
Cathy Liousse ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
West Africa ◽  
Cote D'ivoire ◽  
Côte D’Ivoire ◽  
Atmospheric Pollutants ◽  
Transport Sector ◽  
Aerosol Formation ◽  
Cote D’Ivoire ◽  
Substantial Impact ◽  
Voc Emissions ◽  
Côte D'ivoire

Abstract. Several field campaigns were deployed in the framework of the project Dynamics-Aerosol-Chemistry-Cloud Interactions in West Africa (DACCIWA) to measure a broad range of atmospheric constituents. Here, we present the analysis of an unprecedented and comprehensive dataset integrating up to fifty-six VOC from ambient sites and emission sources. VOCs were collected on sorbent tubes in the coastal city of Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, in winter and summer 2016 and analysed by gas chromatography coupled with flame ionization and mass spectrometer detectors (GC-FID and GC-MS) at the laboratory. The comparison between VOC emission source profiles and ambient profiles suggests the substantial impact of two-wheelers and domestic fires on the composition of Abidjan's atmosphere. However, despite the high VOC concentrations near-source, moderate ambient levels were observed (by a factor of 10 to 4000 lower) and similar to the ones observed in northern mid-latitude urban areas. Beyond photochemistry, reported high wind speeds suggest that meteorology is an essential factor that regulates air pollution in Abidjan. Emission ratios (ΔVOC / ΔCO) were established based on real-world measurements achieved on a selected number of representative combustion sources. Maximal molar mass contributions were observed from two-wheeler (TW) emissions, overpassing other regional sources by two orders of magnitude. This source also largely governs the VOC atmospheric impacts in terms of OH reactivity, secondary aerosol formation (SOAP) and ozone production (POCP). While the contribution of aromatics dominates the atmospheric impact, our measurements reveal the systematic presence of anthropogenic terpenoids in all residential combustion sectors. Finally, emission factors were used to retrieve and quantify VOC emissions from the main anthropogenic source sectors at national level. Our detailed VOC emissions estimation suggests that the road transport sector is the dominant source in Cote d'Ivoire by emitting around 1200 Gg yr−1 of gas-phase VOCs. These new estimations are 100 and 160 times larger than previous global inventory estimations like MACCity or Edgar (v4.3.2). Additionally, the residential sector is also largely underestimated by a factor of 13 to 43. For the only Cote d'Ivoire, these new estimates for VOCs are three to six times higher than the whole Europe. Given the significant underestimation of VOC emissions from transport and residential sectors for Côte d'Ivoire country there is an urgent need for such an effort in the whole West Africa region for building more realistic and region-specific emission inventories. This is not only true for VOCs but all atmospheric pollutants. The dearth of waste burning, fuelwood burning and charcoal representation in regional inventories need also to be addressed, particularly in low-income areas where these types of activities are essential sources of VOC emissions.

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