Georges Djohy is rural sociologist and social anthropologist. He studied Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology at the University of Parakou (Benin) and holds a PhD in Social Anthropology from the University of Göttingen (Germany). He has been involved since 2008 in short and long-term studies among crop farmers and Fulani pastoralists, with a focus on environmental and socio-technological changes. He has interest in climate change, land use change, livelihood and structural changes, gender and social inclusion and grassroots organisation. He served at Göttingen Institute for Social and Cultural Anthropology (GISCA) as a Research Associate and has (co)-published many articles and contributed to collective volumes. He held positions and conducted assignments with various international institutions, including the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS), the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), the International Network for Promoting Local Innovation (Prolinnova), the French Red-Cross Foundation and the Volkswagen Foundation. Georges Djohy is currently working as Assistant Professor at the National School of Statistics, Planning and Demography (ENSPD), University of Parakou (Benin). He leads the Research Unit on Agro-Pastoral Humanitarian and Food Systems (UR-SAPHA) and also oversees Prolinnova-Benin, a multi-stakeholder platform of local research, community-based and development organisations promoting innovation processes in agroecology and natural resource management for sustainable livelihoods. He is a Country Partner of the Least Developed Countries Universities Consortium for Climate Change (LUCCC), a South-South long-term capacity-building platform through which faculty members and students share experiences and knowledge on climate change to build capacity through education, training, research and communication. Address: Benin
Conflict between farmers and livestock herders in Africa has received much attention in recent ye... more Conflict between farmers and livestock herders in Africa has received much attention in recent years, with attendant concerns about increasing and intensifying levels of conflict. However, some academic studies question whether these concerns are founded, calling for critical analysis and primary research on the root causes and triggers of the increased violence observed in parts of Africa. Purpose A systematic review of the literature reveals insights into the causes of farmer-herder conflict and uncovers trends and potential gaps in understanding. To what degree does conflict connect to land and natural resources, is land tenure insecurity cited as a cause of conflict, and in what capacity are women and youth mentioned in the research? Approach and methods A systematic scoping review was conducted using transparent and reproducible methods to minimise selection bias. Using Web of Science, Science Direct and think tank libraries, a search of academic articles published in English and French identified 88 relevant research papers from a long list of 1,102 articles. Findings Though interest in farmer-herder conflicts is significant, primary research on the causes of conflicts is scarce. The case studies reviewed make a direct link between farmer-herder conflict and land or natural resources. Nearly all conclude that conflict is increasing or becoming increasingly violent, but few present primary evidence to support this claim. Governance, political and social factors are most commonly cited as causes of conflict. Few studies mention women in relation to conflict, and those that do describe them primarily as victims; youth are mentioned considerably more so and primarily as participants in conflict. Youth are not differentiated by sex, but everything suggests that male youth are being discussed.
Conflict between farmers and livestock herders in Africa has received much attention in recent ye... more Conflict between farmers and livestock herders in Africa has received much attention in recent years, with attendant concerns about increasing and intensifying levels of conflict. This systematic scoping review was based on an approach designed to minimise selection bias using transparent and reproducible methods. The aim was to gain insights into the causes of farmer–herder conflict and uncover any trends and potential gaps in understanding. A second aim was to ascertain to what degree conflict is connected to land and natural resources and to what extent land tenure insecurity is cited as a cause of conflict and how this is discussed. A third aim was to understand to what degree and in what capacity women and youth are mentioned in research on farmer–herder conflict. The review followed a systematic scoping review approach. A search of academic research articles in English- and French-language Web of Science, Science Direct and think-tank libraries identified 88 relevant research articles and papers. These 88 papers were selected from a long list of 1,102 articles, suggesting that, although interest in farmer–herder conflicts is significant, primary research on the causes of conflicts is scarce. All case studies reviewed make a direct link between farmer–herder conflict and land or natural resources. Nearly all conclude that conflict is increasing or becoming increasingly violent, but only a few present primary evidence to support this claim. Regarding categories of causes, most studies emphasise governance, political and social factors rather than resource scarcity or climate change. These factors include weak or exclusive governance, land issues, poor relationships between groups and ethnic bias. Those are followed by (perceived) pastoral mismanagement, environmental scarcity, violence and human insecurity. Climate change, while a topic of global interest, does not feature as one of the top causes of conflict. While land issues are given prominence, land tenure insecurity is identified tangentially and more through its impacts, such as blocked or limited access to land and natural resources and tenure disputes. The identification of tenure insecurity itself (i.e., the reason this may be happening) is scarce and mentioned in only 13% of cases. This suggests that the analysis of farmer–herder conflicts fails to go to the root causes and focuses instead on what is seen or can be easily quantified and explained. A deeper investigation into the relationship between land tenure, insecurity and conflict is recommended. Women are mentioned in relation to conflict in only 28% of the studies, primarily as victims and less frequently as instigators of conflict or peacemakers. Young people are more frequently mentioned, in 43% of the studies, and primarily as participants in conflict. Youth is not differentiated by sex in these studies, but everything suggests that male youth is being discussed. The findings from this scoping review suggest that more primary research on farmer–herder conflicts is required, and the breaking down of what are normally grouped as ‘causes’ into influencing forces, triggers, sparks and root causes of different depths. In addition, the explicit role of tenure insecurity in farmer–herder conflict, and the role of women and youth in these conflicts, and the impacts on them, needs more attention.
Pastoralists throughout Africa face increasing pressures. In Benin, governmental development poli... more Pastoralists throughout Africa face increasing pressures. In Benin, governmental development policies and programmes in crop farming are changing power relations between herders and farmers to favour the latter. How are the Fulani pastoralists responding to these threats to their existence? Georges Djohy explores the dynamics in local use of natural resources and in inter-ethnic relations resulting from development interventions. He combines the approaches of science and technology studies – looking at the co-construction of society and technology – and political ecology – looking at the power relations shaping the dynamics of economic, environmental and social change – so as to throw light on the forces of marginalisation, adaptation and innovation at work in northern Benin. Having worked there for many years, Djohy has been able to uncover gradual processes of socio-technological change that are happening " behind the scenes " of agricultural development involving mechanisation, herbicide use, tree planting, land registration and natural resource conservation. He reveals how farmers are using these interventions as " weapons " in order to gain more rights over larger areas of land, in other words, to support indigenous land grabbing from herders who had been using the land since decades for grazing. He documents how the Fulani are innovating to ensure their survival, e.g. by using new technologies for transport and communication, developing new strategies of livestock feeding and herd movement, and developing complementary sources of household income. The Fulani are organising themselves from local to national level to provide technological and socio-cultural services, manage conflicts and gain a stronger political voice, e.g. to be able to achieve demarcation of corridors for moving livestock through cultivated areas. They even use non-functioning mini-dairies – another example of development intervention – to demonstrate their modernity and to open up other opportunities to transform their pastoral systems. This book provides insights into normally hidden technical and social dynamics that are unexpected outcomes of development interventions.
The study aims to analyze the appropriation of mobile phones among the Fulani Pastoralists in the... more The study aims to analyze the appropriation of mobile phones among the Fulani Pastoralists in the Northern Benin. A multidimensional approach of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) was adopted. In total, 380 Fulani pastoralists were surveyed. Data was collected through a questionnaire on the total number of weekly calls, the socio-demographic characteristics of the respondents, and the perceived usefulness and the perceived ease of use. A 5-point Likert scale was used to measure the perceived usefulness and the perceived ease of use considering the multiple dimensions identified. The linear regression model is used for the analysis of determinants of the total number of weekly calls. Results show a dual appropriation of mobile phone with regard to its usage for communicative function and/or distractive function. These results suggest that the mobile phone-based livestock advisory services using pre-recorded audio and video materials are promising within these herders’ communities.
This study uses the perspectives of political ecology and of science and technology studies to hi... more This study uses the perspectives of political ecology and of science and technology studies to highlight how socio-technological change over recent decades has influenced cultivation and livestock-keeping in northern Benin. The introduced agricultural technologies are negotiated and adapted in use to shift power relations to the benefit of some rural actors over others. Labour-saving technologies such as tractors and especially herbicides were traced and their effects analysed in the light of ongoing uses made by both smallholder farmers and pastoralists. Results show a renegotiation of herbicides from weeding technologies to weapons for contestation over land and natural resources. Herbicides allow farmers to expand their crop fields in a labour-constrained context and to lay claim on or maintain ownership of land. However, use of chemicals has reduced the extent of rangelands by polluting grazing lands and water resources and has increased farmer–herder conflicts. Many herders have left the region for neighbouring countries such as Togo and Ghana, with economic consequences because of decreased livestock and milk marketing. (167)
The mobile phone has spread recently in rural Benin as one of the new technologies most widely ad... more The mobile phone has spread recently in rural Benin as one of the new technologies most widely adopted by Fulani pastoralists, who have generally been regarded as hostile to novelty. This article analyses the logic and forms of appropriation of mobile phones in connection with the socio-economic transformation that accompany it. An ethnographic approach was used, involving individual interviews with participant observation in various settings where mobile phones are used by Fulani pastoralists to meet challenges they face in their daily lives. It appears from the study that the mobile phone, while bringing significant changes in the livelihood strategies of pastoralists, especially in terms of social connectedness, has at the moment limited economic impacts due to various factors including accessibility and ease of use. With regard to the mass adoption of mobile phones by pastoralists, we argue that socio-economic continuity and change are to be regarded not as opposites but as interconnected realities, and this needs to be taken into account to improve development policies in connection with pastoral communities.
This paper deals with the strategies cattle pastoralists use to cope with the shortage of water r... more This paper deals with the strategies cattle pastoralists use to cope with the shortage of water resources along their grazing routes. A computational approach is combined with socio-anthropological methods. This enables us to learn more from the local actors’ thinking and acting process in the context of vulnerability. During three months, 30 cattle herds were partially followed along an international animal route in the north of Benin, in order to understand the mechanisms through which they accessed water during the inimical season. Individual interviews and focus group discussions were utilised to elicit information on pastoral activities. Our results reveal a pastoral dynamics based on the programmed distance to the best resources, the duration of resourcegathering stays, the livestock market position along the route and the possibility of overdigging wells. These are the strategies pastoralists use to adapt to climate change. The findings suggest that an actor-oriented policy and local resource use planning could be useful in managing the movement of herbivorous livestock in open range. This could also enhance adaptation to climate change within the context of the West African indigenous livestock system. Keywords : Climate Change, Water resources, Pastoralist, Animal route, Adaptation Strategy, Benin
This paper offers an assessment of farmers’ vulnerability to climate risks in relation to the loc... more This paper offers an assessment of farmers’ vulnerability to climate risks in relation to the location of farms from farmers’ ordinary dwelling place in rural communities of northern Benin. The ongoing urbanisation processes in the district of Banikoara, main cotton production area of Benin and one of the biggest producers of different food crops, is considered to be responsible for the exacerbation of the existing land access problems. Sixty farmers of 40 ±9 years old, cultivating 8.4 ±6.02 ha and producing about 7.3 ±6.65 tonnes per year, supplied empirical data in four different villages: Gomparou, Alibori, Somperekou and Godokpagounou. The key respondents were selected through purposive sampling during fieldworks. At the end of the data collection period, a half-day participatory workshop was organized for all interviewees, including some local stakeholders, in order to draw a jointly validated Sensitivity Matrix and Vulnerability Profile of farmers. Plausible exposure and impact indexes were calculated. The results show that: (i) The urbanisation process has resulted in the geographical remoteness of farms by preventing local farmers from cultivating more land. 85 % of farmers move about 10 km up and down to perform farm works, 12 % commute daily over 45 km to reach their farms and only 3 % live on or closely to their farms. (ii) Five major climate risks with highly sensitive impact indexes affect agricultural production: drought (73 %), floods (66 %), fires (60 %), lack of rainfall (60 %) and high winds (46 %); and three resources having high exposure indexes are most damaged: soil (76 %), water (68 %) and vegetation (64 %). (iii) The distance from farms to residence is a factor of vulnerability to the various climate risks leading to three categories of farmers: “Waterist Farmers” (Agri-BF) shriveled up in valley bottoms and most vulnerable to floods regardless of their residence, “Nearist Farmers” most vulnerable to droughts (Agri-CP) and at last “Farist Farmers” (Agri-CE) most vulnerable to wildfires. This vulnerability is likely to affect the national economy which is dependent on agriculture and especially on Banikoara produced cotton. These findings should be used to reframe both environmental and agricultural policies in the context of climate change.
This study uses the perspectives of political ecology and of science and technology studies to hi... more This study uses the perspectives of political ecology and of science and technology studies to highlight how socio-technological change over recent decades has influenced cultivation and livestock-keeping in northern Benin. The introduced agricultural technologies are negotiated and adapted in use to shift power relations to the benefit of some rural actors over others. Labour-saving technologies such as tractors and especially herbicides were traced and their effects analysed in the light of ongoing uses made by both smallholder farmers and pastoralists. Results show a renegotiation of herbicides from weeding technologies to weapons for contestation over land and natural resources. Herbicides allow farmers to expand their crop fields in a labour-constrained context and to lay claim on or maintain ownership of land. However, use of chemicals has reduced the extent of rangelands by polluting grazing lands and water resources and has increased farmer–herder conflicts. Many herders have left the region for neighbouring countries such as Togo and Ghana, with economic consequences because of decreased livestock and milk marketing. (167)
Conflict between farmers and livestock herders in Africa has received much attention in recent ye... more Conflict between farmers and livestock herders in Africa has received much attention in recent years, with attendant concerns about increasing and intensifying levels of conflict. However, some academic studies question whether these concerns are founded, calling for critical analysis and primary research on the root causes and triggers of the increased violence observed in parts of Africa. Purpose A systematic review of the literature reveals insights into the causes of farmer-herder conflict and uncovers trends and potential gaps in understanding. To what degree does conflict connect to land and natural resources, is land tenure insecurity cited as a cause of conflict, and in what capacity are women and youth mentioned in the research? Approach and methods A systematic scoping review was conducted using transparent and reproducible methods to minimise selection bias. Using Web of Science, Science Direct and think tank libraries, a search of academic articles published in English and French identified 88 relevant research papers from a long list of 1,102 articles. Findings Though interest in farmer-herder conflicts is significant, primary research on the causes of conflicts is scarce. The case studies reviewed make a direct link between farmer-herder conflict and land or natural resources. Nearly all conclude that conflict is increasing or becoming increasingly violent, but few present primary evidence to support this claim. Governance, political and social factors are most commonly cited as causes of conflict. Few studies mention women in relation to conflict, and those that do describe them primarily as victims; youth are mentioned considerably more so and primarily as participants in conflict. Youth are not differentiated by sex, but everything suggests that male youth are being discussed.
Conflict between farmers and livestock herders in Africa has received much attention in recent ye... more Conflict between farmers and livestock herders in Africa has received much attention in recent years, with attendant concerns about increasing and intensifying levels of conflict. This systematic scoping review was based on an approach designed to minimise selection bias using transparent and reproducible methods. The aim was to gain insights into the causes of farmer–herder conflict and uncover any trends and potential gaps in understanding. A second aim was to ascertain to what degree conflict is connected to land and natural resources and to what extent land tenure insecurity is cited as a cause of conflict and how this is discussed. A third aim was to understand to what degree and in what capacity women and youth are mentioned in research on farmer–herder conflict. The review followed a systematic scoping review approach. A search of academic research articles in English- and French-language Web of Science, Science Direct and think-tank libraries identified 88 relevant research articles and papers. These 88 papers were selected from a long list of 1,102 articles, suggesting that, although interest in farmer–herder conflicts is significant, primary research on the causes of conflicts is scarce. All case studies reviewed make a direct link between farmer–herder conflict and land or natural resources. Nearly all conclude that conflict is increasing or becoming increasingly violent, but only a few present primary evidence to support this claim. Regarding categories of causes, most studies emphasise governance, political and social factors rather than resource scarcity or climate change. These factors include weak or exclusive governance, land issues, poor relationships between groups and ethnic bias. Those are followed by (perceived) pastoral mismanagement, environmental scarcity, violence and human insecurity. Climate change, while a topic of global interest, does not feature as one of the top causes of conflict. While land issues are given prominence, land tenure insecurity is identified tangentially and more through its impacts, such as blocked or limited access to land and natural resources and tenure disputes. The identification of tenure insecurity itself (i.e., the reason this may be happening) is scarce and mentioned in only 13% of cases. This suggests that the analysis of farmer–herder conflicts fails to go to the root causes and focuses instead on what is seen or can be easily quantified and explained. A deeper investigation into the relationship between land tenure, insecurity and conflict is recommended. Women are mentioned in relation to conflict in only 28% of the studies, primarily as victims and less frequently as instigators of conflict or peacemakers. Young people are more frequently mentioned, in 43% of the studies, and primarily as participants in conflict. Youth is not differentiated by sex in these studies, but everything suggests that male youth is being discussed. The findings from this scoping review suggest that more primary research on farmer–herder conflicts is required, and the breaking down of what are normally grouped as ‘causes’ into influencing forces, triggers, sparks and root causes of different depths. In addition, the explicit role of tenure insecurity in farmer–herder conflict, and the role of women and youth in these conflicts, and the impacts on them, needs more attention.
Pastoralists throughout Africa face increasing pressures. In Benin, governmental development poli... more Pastoralists throughout Africa face increasing pressures. In Benin, governmental development policies and programmes in crop farming are changing power relations between herders and farmers to favour the latter. How are the Fulani pastoralists responding to these threats to their existence? Georges Djohy explores the dynamics in local use of natural resources and in inter-ethnic relations resulting from development interventions. He combines the approaches of science and technology studies – looking at the co-construction of society and technology – and political ecology – looking at the power relations shaping the dynamics of economic, environmental and social change – so as to throw light on the forces of marginalisation, adaptation and innovation at work in northern Benin. Having worked there for many years, Djohy has been able to uncover gradual processes of socio-technological change that are happening " behind the scenes " of agricultural development involving mechanisation, herbicide use, tree planting, land registration and natural resource conservation. He reveals how farmers are using these interventions as " weapons " in order to gain more rights over larger areas of land, in other words, to support indigenous land grabbing from herders who had been using the land since decades for grazing. He documents how the Fulani are innovating to ensure their survival, e.g. by using new technologies for transport and communication, developing new strategies of livestock feeding and herd movement, and developing complementary sources of household income. The Fulani are organising themselves from local to national level to provide technological and socio-cultural services, manage conflicts and gain a stronger political voice, e.g. to be able to achieve demarcation of corridors for moving livestock through cultivated areas. They even use non-functioning mini-dairies – another example of development intervention – to demonstrate their modernity and to open up other opportunities to transform their pastoral systems. This book provides insights into normally hidden technical and social dynamics that are unexpected outcomes of development interventions.
The study aims to analyze the appropriation of mobile phones among the Fulani Pastoralists in the... more The study aims to analyze the appropriation of mobile phones among the Fulani Pastoralists in the Northern Benin. A multidimensional approach of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) was adopted. In total, 380 Fulani pastoralists were surveyed. Data was collected through a questionnaire on the total number of weekly calls, the socio-demographic characteristics of the respondents, and the perceived usefulness and the perceived ease of use. A 5-point Likert scale was used to measure the perceived usefulness and the perceived ease of use considering the multiple dimensions identified. The linear regression model is used for the analysis of determinants of the total number of weekly calls. Results show a dual appropriation of mobile phone with regard to its usage for communicative function and/or distractive function. These results suggest that the mobile phone-based livestock advisory services using pre-recorded audio and video materials are promising within these herders’ communities.
This study uses the perspectives of political ecology and of science and technology studies to hi... more This study uses the perspectives of political ecology and of science and technology studies to highlight how socio-technological change over recent decades has influenced cultivation and livestock-keeping in northern Benin. The introduced agricultural technologies are negotiated and adapted in use to shift power relations to the benefit of some rural actors over others. Labour-saving technologies such as tractors and especially herbicides were traced and their effects analysed in the light of ongoing uses made by both smallholder farmers and pastoralists. Results show a renegotiation of herbicides from weeding technologies to weapons for contestation over land and natural resources. Herbicides allow farmers to expand their crop fields in a labour-constrained context and to lay claim on or maintain ownership of land. However, use of chemicals has reduced the extent of rangelands by polluting grazing lands and water resources and has increased farmer–herder conflicts. Many herders have left the region for neighbouring countries such as Togo and Ghana, with economic consequences because of decreased livestock and milk marketing. (167)
The mobile phone has spread recently in rural Benin as one of the new technologies most widely ad... more The mobile phone has spread recently in rural Benin as one of the new technologies most widely adopted by Fulani pastoralists, who have generally been regarded as hostile to novelty. This article analyses the logic and forms of appropriation of mobile phones in connection with the socio-economic transformation that accompany it. An ethnographic approach was used, involving individual interviews with participant observation in various settings where mobile phones are used by Fulani pastoralists to meet challenges they face in their daily lives. It appears from the study that the mobile phone, while bringing significant changes in the livelihood strategies of pastoralists, especially in terms of social connectedness, has at the moment limited economic impacts due to various factors including accessibility and ease of use. With regard to the mass adoption of mobile phones by pastoralists, we argue that socio-economic continuity and change are to be regarded not as opposites but as interconnected realities, and this needs to be taken into account to improve development policies in connection with pastoral communities.
This paper deals with the strategies cattle pastoralists use to cope with the shortage of water r... more This paper deals with the strategies cattle pastoralists use to cope with the shortage of water resources along their grazing routes. A computational approach is combined with socio-anthropological methods. This enables us to learn more from the local actors’ thinking and acting process in the context of vulnerability. During three months, 30 cattle herds were partially followed along an international animal route in the north of Benin, in order to understand the mechanisms through which they accessed water during the inimical season. Individual interviews and focus group discussions were utilised to elicit information on pastoral activities. Our results reveal a pastoral dynamics based on the programmed distance to the best resources, the duration of resourcegathering stays, the livestock market position along the route and the possibility of overdigging wells. These are the strategies pastoralists use to adapt to climate change. The findings suggest that an actor-oriented policy and local resource use planning could be useful in managing the movement of herbivorous livestock in open range. This could also enhance adaptation to climate change within the context of the West African indigenous livestock system. Keywords : Climate Change, Water resources, Pastoralist, Animal route, Adaptation Strategy, Benin
This paper offers an assessment of farmers’ vulnerability to climate risks in relation to the loc... more This paper offers an assessment of farmers’ vulnerability to climate risks in relation to the location of farms from farmers’ ordinary dwelling place in rural communities of northern Benin. The ongoing urbanisation processes in the district of Banikoara, main cotton production area of Benin and one of the biggest producers of different food crops, is considered to be responsible for the exacerbation of the existing land access problems. Sixty farmers of 40 ±9 years old, cultivating 8.4 ±6.02 ha and producing about 7.3 ±6.65 tonnes per year, supplied empirical data in four different villages: Gomparou, Alibori, Somperekou and Godokpagounou. The key respondents were selected through purposive sampling during fieldworks. At the end of the data collection period, a half-day participatory workshop was organized for all interviewees, including some local stakeholders, in order to draw a jointly validated Sensitivity Matrix and Vulnerability Profile of farmers. Plausible exposure and impact indexes were calculated. The results show that: (i) The urbanisation process has resulted in the geographical remoteness of farms by preventing local farmers from cultivating more land. 85 % of farmers move about 10 km up and down to perform farm works, 12 % commute daily over 45 km to reach their farms and only 3 % live on or closely to their farms. (ii) Five major climate risks with highly sensitive impact indexes affect agricultural production: drought (73 %), floods (66 %), fires (60 %), lack of rainfall (60 %) and high winds (46 %); and three resources having high exposure indexes are most damaged: soil (76 %), water (68 %) and vegetation (64 %). (iii) The distance from farms to residence is a factor of vulnerability to the various climate risks leading to three categories of farmers: “Waterist Farmers” (Agri-BF) shriveled up in valley bottoms and most vulnerable to floods regardless of their residence, “Nearist Farmers” most vulnerable to droughts (Agri-CP) and at last “Farist Farmers” (Agri-CE) most vulnerable to wildfires. This vulnerability is likely to affect the national economy which is dependent on agriculture and especially on Banikoara produced cotton. These findings should be used to reframe both environmental and agricultural policies in the context of climate change.
This study uses the perspectives of political ecology and of science and technology studies to hi... more This study uses the perspectives of political ecology and of science and technology studies to highlight how socio-technological change over recent decades has influenced cultivation and livestock-keeping in northern Benin. The introduced agricultural technologies are negotiated and adapted in use to shift power relations to the benefit of some rural actors over others. Labour-saving technologies such as tractors and especially herbicides were traced and their effects analysed in the light of ongoing uses made by both smallholder farmers and pastoralists. Results show a renegotiation of herbicides from weeding technologies to weapons for contestation over land and natural resources. Herbicides allow farmers to expand their crop fields in a labour-constrained context and to lay claim on or maintain ownership of land. However, use of chemicals has reduced the extent of rangelands by polluting grazing lands and water resources and has increased farmer–herder conflicts. Many herders have left the region for neighbouring countries such as Togo and Ghana, with economic consequences because of decreased livestock and milk marketing. (167)
The mobile phone has spread recently in rural Benin as one of the new technologies most widely ad... more The mobile phone has spread recently in rural Benin as one of the new technologies most widely adopted by Fulani pastoralists, who have generally been regarded as hostile to novelty. This article analyses the logic and forms of appropriation of mobile phones in connection with the socio-economic transformation that accompany it. An ethnographic approach was used, involving individual interviews with participant observation in various settings where mobile phones are used by Fulani pastoralists to meet challenges they face in their daily lives. It appears from the study that the mobile phone, while bringing significant changes in the livelihood strategies of pastoralists, especially in terms of social connectedness, has at the moment limited economic impacts due to various factors including accessibility and ease of use. With regard to the mass adoption of mobile phones by pastoralists, we argue that socio-economic continuity and change are to be regarded not as opposites but as inte...
Le Nord-est du Bénin de par sa position stratégique, a vu se succéder dans le temps, plusieurs po... more Le Nord-est du Bénin de par sa position stratégique, a vu se succéder dans le temps, plusieurs politiques de gestion des ressources naturelles essentiellement basées sur les aires protégées qui sont des espaces convoités aussi bien par les communautés d'éleveurs que celles des agriculteurs. L'approche coercitive mise en oeuvre en 1995 a conduit au déguerpissement des populations riveraines de la réserve transfrontalière de biosphère du W. On a assisté à une recolonisation de la zone dite libre qui couvre entre autres, la vallée du fleuve Niger. La réalité des événements climatiques extrêmes vécue ces dernières années dans cette communauté à double vocation agricole et pastorale est à la base d'une redéfinition du terroir villageois riche en ressources pastorales. De nouvelles stratégies d'exploitation des ressources sont aussi en éclosion pour permettre aux acteurs locaux de vivre et de continuer à produire dans un environnement climatique éminemment précaire. L'...
Rangelands have undergone drastic deterioration in recent decades due to environmental changes an... more Rangelands have undergone drastic deterioration in recent decades due to environmental changes and anthropogenic factors. The protected areas and their surrounding ecosystems, spaces coveted by both herders and farmers are areas of inter-professional clashes, despite the formal regulations that are being exerted. The present study in northeastern Benin aims at analyzing the socio-communal dynamics happening in pastoralist communities in order to respond to the major challenges of pastoral farming. A socio-anthropological approach based on cattle herds monitoring and an analysis in terms of sustainable livelihoods and social capital have been used. Semi-structured interviews and field observations have been implemented in pastoral communities bordering W Park. The findings of this study reveal the rise of socio-communal dynamics of climate risks management alongside individual strategies of pastoral resources access, rooted on social networks. Some plant species mobilized through ind...
La localisation de l’aide et la responsabilisation des acteurs locaux sont désormais prônées par ... more La localisation de l’aide et la responsabilisation des acteurs locaux sont désormais prônées par le monde humanitaire. Mais comment ces nouveaux principes sont-ils appréhendés sur le terrain ? Enquête au nord du pays, dans la vallée du fleuve Niger soumises aux inondations.
Workshop on promoting farmer innovation in Benin unleashes local capacities for farmer-led resear... more Workshop on promoting farmer innovation in Benin unleashes local capacities for farmer-led research and development
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Books by Georges DJOHY
into the causes of farmer–herder conflict and uncover any trends and potential gaps in understanding. A second aim was to ascertain to what degree conflict is connected to land and natural resources and to what extent land tenure insecurity is cited as a cause of conflict and how this is discussed. A third aim was to understand to what degree and in what
capacity women and youth are mentioned in research on farmer–herder conflict.
The review followed a systematic scoping review approach. A search of academic research articles in English- and French-language Web of Science, Science Direct and think-tank libraries identified 88 relevant research articles and papers. These 88 papers were selected
from a long list of 1,102 articles, suggesting that, although interest in farmer–herder conflicts is significant, primary research on the causes of conflicts is scarce.
All case studies reviewed make a direct link between farmer–herder conflict and land or natural resources. Nearly all conclude that conflict is increasing or becoming increasingly violent, but only a few present primary evidence to support this claim.
Regarding categories of causes, most studies emphasise governance, political and social factors rather than resource scarcity or climate change. These factors include weak or exclusive governance, land issues, poor relationships between groups and ethnic bias. Those are followed by (perceived) pastoral mismanagement, environmental scarcity, violence and human insecurity. Climate change, while a topic of global interest, does not feature as one of the top causes of conflict.
While land issues are given prominence, land tenure insecurity is identified tangentially and more through its impacts, such as blocked or limited access to land and natural resources and tenure disputes. The identification of tenure insecurity itself (i.e., the reason this may be
happening) is scarce and mentioned in only 13% of cases. This suggests that the analysis of farmer–herder conflicts fails to go to the root causes and focuses instead on what is seen or can be easily quantified and explained. A deeper investigation into the relationship between
land tenure, insecurity and conflict is recommended.
Women are mentioned in relation to conflict in only 28% of the studies, primarily as victims and less frequently as instigators of conflict or peacemakers. Young people are more frequently mentioned, in 43% of the studies, and primarily as participants in conflict. Youth is not differentiated by sex in these studies, but everything suggests that male
youth is being discussed.
The findings from this scoping review suggest that more primary research on farmer–herder conflicts is required, and the breaking down of what are normally grouped as ‘causes’ into influencing forces, triggers, sparks and root causes of different depths. In addition, the explicit role of tenure insecurity in farmer–herder conflict, and the role of women and youth in these conflicts, and the impacts on them, needs more attention.
Papers by Georges DJOHY
into the causes of farmer–herder conflict and uncover any trends and potential gaps in understanding. A second aim was to ascertain to what degree conflict is connected to land and natural resources and to what extent land tenure insecurity is cited as a cause of conflict and how this is discussed. A third aim was to understand to what degree and in what
capacity women and youth are mentioned in research on farmer–herder conflict.
The review followed a systematic scoping review approach. A search of academic research articles in English- and French-language Web of Science, Science Direct and think-tank libraries identified 88 relevant research articles and papers. These 88 papers were selected
from a long list of 1,102 articles, suggesting that, although interest in farmer–herder conflicts is significant, primary research on the causes of conflicts is scarce.
All case studies reviewed make a direct link between farmer–herder conflict and land or natural resources. Nearly all conclude that conflict is increasing or becoming increasingly violent, but only a few present primary evidence to support this claim.
Regarding categories of causes, most studies emphasise governance, political and social factors rather than resource scarcity or climate change. These factors include weak or exclusive governance, land issues, poor relationships between groups and ethnic bias. Those are followed by (perceived) pastoral mismanagement, environmental scarcity, violence and human insecurity. Climate change, while a topic of global interest, does not feature as one of the top causes of conflict.
While land issues are given prominence, land tenure insecurity is identified tangentially and more through its impacts, such as blocked or limited access to land and natural resources and tenure disputes. The identification of tenure insecurity itself (i.e., the reason this may be
happening) is scarce and mentioned in only 13% of cases. This suggests that the analysis of farmer–herder conflicts fails to go to the root causes and focuses instead on what is seen or can be easily quantified and explained. A deeper investigation into the relationship between
land tenure, insecurity and conflict is recommended.
Women are mentioned in relation to conflict in only 28% of the studies, primarily as victims and less frequently as instigators of conflict or peacemakers. Young people are more frequently mentioned, in 43% of the studies, and primarily as participants in conflict. Youth is not differentiated by sex in these studies, but everything suggests that male
youth is being discussed.
The findings from this scoping review suggest that more primary research on farmer–herder conflicts is required, and the breaking down of what are normally grouped as ‘causes’ into influencing forces, triggers, sparks and root causes of different depths. In addition, the explicit role of tenure insecurity in farmer–herder conflict, and the role of women and youth in these conflicts, and the impacts on them, needs more attention.