A delegation from the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands conducts a field visit to see firsthand the impact of the ACMA3 program on local food security and rural communities.

• Field Engagement: An EKN delegation visited the ACMA3 program and its beneficiaries during a field mission to assess progress and impact.

• Agricultural Interventions: The visit highlighted how targeted interventions are improving productivity, nutrition, and incomes in rural communities.

• Continued Support: Continued support by IFDC and EKN is encouraged to create opportunities for farmers to scale production.

In the Donga department of northern Benin, the Kingdom of the Netherlands’ commitment to food and nutrition security is taking on a tangible form.

During a field visit on February 24-27, a delegation from the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (EKN) in Benin met with beneficiaries of the Communal Approach to the Agricultural Market in Benin, Phase 3 (ACMA3) program, which is funded by the EKN. This visit revealed the real-world impact of investments made to benefit Donga’s rural communities.

Empowering Women through Quail Farming

The village of Selra was the first of two localities in Donga to welcome the delegation during their field visit. Women members of three farmer groups hosted the visitors and explained their work to EKN visitors including Marion Janse, First Secretary for Food and Nutrition, and Clément Edah, Food Security and Nutrition Expert

Before the program’s inception, these women had operated individually; today, thanks to ACMA3’s support, they have formed groups to strengthen market access and share resources for their work in small ruminant and poultry farming, as well as agrifood processing, particularly soybeans.

“…we will be able to realize the dream of the local population, who need this kind of infrastructure to promote the vegetable farming sector and address food and nutrition issues.”
Dr. Zakari Filikibirou Tassou, Mayor of municipality

Cooperative members in Selra showcase their quail farming initiative to the visiting delegation, including Marion Janse, First Secretary for Food and Nutrition Security, and Clément Edah, Food Security and Nutrition Expert.

The group then proceeded to the Educational Demonstration Unit, established with ACMA3 support, where members of the Tezetan-Tchanssawa cooperative raise laying quail.

Prior to the establishment of the unit, neither quail farming nor the nutritional benefits of consuming their eggs had been known in the area; now, this major innovation has sparked interest among the population of Selra, whose schoolchildren now receive quail eggs from the unit free of charge with their school cafeteria meals.

While commending this significant contribution from the Educational Demonstration Unit, Janse and Edah urged Tezetan-Tchanssawa members to implement strategies that would help them not only profit from the sale of eggs but also, and above all, expand throughout the locality by sharing their experience with other interested women.

Expanding Market Gardening in the Village of Bodi

A short distance from Selra is the village of Bodi, where members of the Suuru Market Gardening Cooperative later hosted the EKN delegation, as well as the Delegation of the European Union to Benin. These visitors saw the first stages of progress on an ACMA3-supported hydro-agricultural project aimed at developing commercial infrastructure and equipment at the Suuru Cooperative.

ACMA3 plans to carry out site improvements over an area of more than 2 hectares on behalf of the Suuru Cooperative – support that will enable them to significantly increase their production capacity. In place of makeshift wells that had been used up to this point, piping and drainage systems will be installed, along with a drip irrigation system linked to eight above-ground ponds.

The first major initiative is already underway at the site: a well over 61 meters deep has been drilled, with a discharge rate of 5 cubic meters. Test pumping indicates good water availability on the site.

ACMA3’s hydro-agricultural project supports the Suuru Market Gardening Cooperative with modern irrigation and infrastructure upgrades to boost production.

Continued Support and Impact in Benin

During the visit to Bodi, Suuru Cooperative President Youssifou Idrissou Abou and General Treasurer Warahanatou Ibrahim expressed their deep gratitude for all the support the cooperative has received from the technical staff implementing ACMA3.

The municipality’s mayor, Dr. Zakari Filikibirou Tassou, expressed his gratitude to EKN, IFDC, and the other members of the ACMA3 consortium: “Your presence here today brings to fruition our commitment to making the vegetable farming sector a thriving industry in the municipality of Bassila.”

Dr. Tassou continued, “Thanks to you and the partnership with the company responsible for building the infrastructure, we will be able to realize the dream of the local population, who need this kind of infrastructure to promote the vegetable farming sector and address food and nutrition issues.”

The visiting delegation listen to leaders in Bodi who share their gratitude for the support gained from the ACMA3 project.

The development approach for the Bodi hydro-agricultural project impressed Edah, who also commended the the Suuru Cooperative’s commitment to market gardening activities in Bodi and welcomed the solid foundations that have been established to ensure the sustainability of ACMA3 program support.

“I applaud the leadership of the members of the Suuru Cooperative, the Mayor of Bassila, and, of course, the entire technical implementation team of the ACMA3 program,” said Edah. He also remarked that the public-private partnership approach to infrastructure development will undoubtedly strengthen governance and sustainability.

Transforming Lives through Nutrition, Income, and Livelihood Improvements

Before taking their leave of the market gardeners of Bodi, Edah and the other members of the delegation urged them to continue demonstrating diligence, inclusiveness, and cohesion to ensure the best possible use of the space that will be developed for their benefit.

From introducing the economic and nutritional benefits of quail eggs to supporting irrigation infrastructure to save labor and improve yields, every activity ACMA3 has implemented in Donga has benefited the cooperative members and individuals who engage in them.

As Janse, Edah, and other delegation members saw, the investments of EKN in Benin are making real, human impact by creating opportunities for the people of Selra and Bodi to improve their livelihoods, nutrition, incomes, and overall well-being.

The Communal Approach to the Agricultural Market in Benin (ACMA) program, financed by the Embassy of the Netherlands in Benin since 2013, is implemented by the International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC) in a consortium with CARE International Benin and KIT.