Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-t7fkt Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-29T18:16:55.977Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Community-based management of farm animal genetic resources in practice: framework for focal goats in two rural communities in Southern Benin

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 August 2011

L.H. Dossa
Affiliation:
Georg-August University of Goettingen, Institute of Animal Breeding and Genetics, Albrecht-Thaer-Weg 3, 37075 Goettingen, Germany
C. Wollny
Affiliation:
University of Applied Sciences Bingen, Faculty of Life Sciences and Engineering, Berlinstrasse 109, 55411 Bingen, Germany
M. Gauly
Affiliation:
Georg-August University of Goettingen, Institute of Animal Breeding and Genetics, Albrecht-Thaer-Weg 3, 37075 Goettingen, Germany
I. Gbégo
Affiliation:
Institut National des Recherches Agricoles du Bénin, INRAB, CRAS Niaouli, 01 BP: 884, Cotonou, République du Bénin
Get access

Summary

This paper describes and analyses the process of implementing participatory community-based management (CBM) towards sustainable management of goat genetic resources in two rural communities in Southern Benin from November 2005 to February 2007. The process started with the selection of the communities. This was followed by a participatory situation analysis, identification of problems and of possible solutions, and the provisionof relevant information and training to interested farmers. It was facilitated by a multidisciplinary research team composed of a specialist in livestock production systems, a socio-economist and an agronomist. The interaction between the research team and the farmers aimed to develop and implement community led strategies towards better management and conservation of the local resources of goat. The approach adopted to facilitate the creation of representative, accountable and legal local institutions and the efforts made in ensuring their empowerment are described. It has been shown that once local people recognise the benefits of such community-based activities and are offered the relevant information and technical support, they can organize themselves effectively and take appropriate actions to better manage and conserve their local resources. The interactive nature of thisapproach allows its rapid adjustment to different local conditions and thus its replication elsewhere.

Résumé

Cette étude décrit et analyse le processus d'élaboration et de mise en œuvre de mécanismes pour une gestion á base communautaire des ressources génétiques caprines dans deux communautés rurales au sud du Bénin. La première étape de cette recherche-action initiée en Novembre 2005 par une équipe pluridisciplinaire composée d'un spécialiste des systèmes de productions animales, d'un socio-économiste et d'un agronome est la sélection des communautés. Elle a été suivie par un diagnostic participatif des conditions actuelles d'utilisation des ressources caprines locales, par l'identification des contraintes et des solutions possibles, par des échanges d'informations pertinentes entre communautés rurales et chercheurs et par l'organisation de séances de sensibilisation et de formation á l'intention des éleveurs. Les résultats ont montré que lorsque les communautés locales sont informées du danger que représente la perte de la diversité génétique animale pour leur bien-être social, culturel et économique, et qu'elles bénéficient d'un appui technique adéquat, elles peuvent s'organiser de manière efficace et développer des stratégies appropriées pour mieux gérer et conserver leurs ressources zoogénétiques locales.

Resumen

Este estudio describe y analiza el proceso de elaboración y puesta en marcha de mecanismos para una gestión con base comunitaria de los recursos zoogenéticos caprinos en dos comunidades rurales en el sur de Benín. La primera etapa de esta acción-investigación inició en noviembre 2005 con la selección de las comunidades por parte de un equipo pluridisciplinario compuesto pourun especialista en sistemas de producción animal, un socioeconómico y un agrónomo. A esta etapa siguió un diagnóstico participativo sobre las condiciones actuales de utilización de los recursos locales en caprinos, una identificación de las limitaciones y de las posibles soluciones utilizando los intercambios de informaciones pertinentes entre las comunidades rurales y los investigadores y la formación de ganaderos. Los resultandos han mostrado que cuando las comunidades locales están informadas del peligro que representa la pérdida de diversidad genética animal para el bienestar social, cultural y económico, y si se les proporciona apoyo técnico adecuado, pueden organizarse de forma eficaz y desarrollar estrategias apropiadas para una mejor gestión y conservación de sus recursos zoogenéticos locales.

Type
Research Articles
Copyright
Copyright © Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations 2009

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

List of References

Berkes, F. 2004. Rethinking community-based conservation. Conservation Biology 18, 621630.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Berkes, F., Colding, J., & Folke, C.. 2000. Rediscovery of traditional ecological knowledge as adaptive management. EcologicalApplications 10, 12511262.Google Scholar
Binns, T. & Nel, E.. 1999. Beyond the development impasse: the role of local economic development and community self-reliance in rural South Africa. Journal of Modern African Studies 37, 289408.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bosso, N.A., Cisse, M.F., Waaj van der, E.H., Fall, A. & Arendonk van, J.A.M.. 2007. Genetic and phenotypic parameters of body weight in West African Dwarf goat and Djallonké sheep. Small Ruminant Research 67, 271278.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brett, E.A. 2003. Participation and accountability in development management. The Journal of Development Studies, 40, 129.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Broek van den, A. & Gbégo, T.I.. 1994. Sustainability of small ruminant production on the Adja Plateau (South Benin). Netherland Journal of Agricultural Science 42, 6976.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Campbell, L.M. & Vainio-Mattila, A.. 2003. Participatory development and community-based conservation: Opportunities missed for lessons learned? Human Ecology 3, 417437.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Catley, A. 1999. Methods on the move: a review of veterinary uses of participatory approaches and methods focusing on experiences in dryland Africa. International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), London.Google Scholar
Chan, K.M.A., Pringle, R., Ranganathan, J., Boggs, C.L., Chan, Y.L., Ehrlich, P.R., Haff, P.K., Heller, N.E., Al-Khafaji, K. & Macmynowski, D.P.. 2007. When agendas collide: human welfare and biological conservation. Conservation Biology 21, 5968.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Dossa, L.H., Wollny, C. & Gauly, M.. 2007. Smallholders' perceptions of goat farming in southern Benin and opportunities for improvement. Tropical Animal Health and Production 39, 4957.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Falconer, D.S. & Mackay, T.F.C.. 1996. Introduction to quantitative genetics, 4th edition. Longman Group Ltd, New York.Google Scholar
Ghimire, K.B. & Pimbert, M.P. (Eds). 1997. Social Change and Conservation. Earthscan, London.Google Scholar
Grandin, B.E. 1988. Wealth ranking in smallholder communities: a fieldmanual. Intermediate Technology Publications, London, England.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kahi, A.K., Rewe, T.O. & Kosgey, I.S.. 2005. Sustainable community-based organizations for the genetic improvement of livestock in developing countries. Outlook on Agriculture 34, 261270.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kiwuwa, G.H. 1992. Breeding strategies for small ruminant productivityin Africa. In: Rey, B., Lebbie, S.H.B. & Reynolds, L. (Eds), Small ruminant research and development in Africa. Proceedings of the first biennial conference of the African small ruminant research network, Nairobi, Kenya, 10-14 December 1990.Google Scholar
Kleemeier, E. 2000. The Impact of participation on sustainability: an analysis of the Malawi rural piped scheme program. World Development 28, 929944.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kosgey, I.S., Baker, R.L., Udo, H.M.J. & Arendonk van, J.A.M. 2006. Successes and failures of small ruminant breeding programmes in the tropics: a review. Small Ruminant Research, 61, 1328CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Little, P. 1994. The link between local participation and improved conservation: a review of issues and experiences. In: Western, D. & Wright, M.A. (Eds). Natural connections: perspectives in community-based conservation, Island Press, Washington DC, 347372.Google Scholar
Mascia, M.B., Brosius, J.P., Dobson, T.A, Forbes, B.C., Horowitz, L., McKean, M.A. & Turner, N.J.. 2003. Conservation and the social sciences. Conservation Biology 17, 649650.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Minjauw, B. 2001. Training of trainers manual for livestock farmer field schools. Based on a participatory workshop held on the 17-29 September 2001, Mabanga Ftc, Bungoma, Kenya, FAO-DFID-ILRI.Google Scholar
Molians, J.R. 1998. The impact of inequality, gender, external assistance and social capital on local level collective action. World Development 26, 413431.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mueller, J.P. & James, J.W.. 1983. Effects of reduced variance due to selection in open nucleus breeding systems. Aust. J. Agric. Res. 34, 5362.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mueller, J.P., Flores, E.R. & Gutierrez, G.A.. 2002. Experiences with a large scale sheep genetic improvement project in the Peruvian Highlands. Paper presented at the 7th World Congress in Applied Genetics to Livestock Production, Montpellier, France, 19-23 August 2002.Google Scholar
Odubote, K. 1996. Genetic parameters for litter size at birth and kidding interval in the West African Dwarf goats. Small Ruminant Research 20, 261265.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Olivier, J.J., Moyo, S., Montaldo, H.H., Thorpe, W., Valle Zarate, A. &, Trivedi, K.R.. 2002. Integrating genetic improvement into livestock development in medium- to low-input production systems. Paper presented at the 7th World Congress on Genetics Applied to Livestock Production, Montpellier, France, 19-23 August 2002.Google Scholar
Ostrom, E. 1990. Governing the commons: the evolution of institutions for collective action. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Plateau, J-P. & Abraham, A.. 2002. Participatory development in the presence of endogenous community imperfections. The Journal of Development Studies 39, 104136.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rege, J.E.O. 2001. Defining livestock breeds in the context of community-based management of farm animal genetic resources. In: FAO (Ed.), Proceedings of a workshop on community-based management of animal genetic resources: a tool for rural development and food security. Mbabane, Swaziland, 7-11 May 2001.Google Scholar
Sultana, P. & Thompson, P.. 2003. Methods of consensus building for community based fisheries management in Bangladesh and the Mekong Delta. Working Paper no. 30, Collective Action and Property Rights (CAPRi).Google Scholar
Swantz, M.L. 1997. Community and village-based provision of key social services: a case study of Tanzania, </www.wider.unu.edu/publications/publications.htm>. Cited 11 Nov 2006..+Cited+11+Nov+2006.>Google Scholar
Waters-Bayer, A. & Bayer, W.. 1994. Planning with pastoralists: PRA and more - a review of methods focused on Africa. Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) Division 422 Working Paper, Goettingen, Germany.Google Scholar
Werf van der, J. 2000. Livestock straight-breeding system structures for the sustainable intensification of extensive grazing systems. In: Galal, S., Boyazoglu, J., Hammond, K. (Eds), Proceedings of a workshop on Developing Breeding Strategies for Low Input Animal Production Environments, Bella, Italy, 22-25 September 1999. ICAR Technical Series no. 3, 105177.Google Scholar
Western, D. & Wright, M.A.. 1994. The background to community-based conservation. In: Western, D. & Wright, M.A.. (Eds) Natural connections: perspectives in community-based conservation. Island Press, Washington DC, 112.Google Scholar
Wilson, R.T. 1991. Small ruminant production and the small ruminant genetic resource in Tropical Africa. FAO Animal Production and Health Paper 88, Rome, Italy.Google Scholar
World Bank. 1999. Report from International Workshop on Community-Based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM), Washington D.C., United States, 10-14 May 1998. <www.worldbank.org/wbi/conatrem/>. Cited 06 November 2006..+Cited+06+November+2006.>Google Scholar
WFP. 1998. Country strategy outline-Benin. <www.wfp.org/eb/docs/1998/wfp000199~1.pdf>. Cited 02 Nov 2005..+Cited+02+Nov+2005.>Google Scholar